Lipitor or Lipator: A Lifelong Method to Control Cholesterol
Posted by on April 28, 2009
Cholesterol is a necessary substance produced by the liver which synthesizes approximately 1 gram daily. It is an important component of the cell membranes found in mammals. Cholesterol is a combination of alcohol and steroid called a sterol. It is also the main precursor of steroid hormones such as aldosterone and cortisol, Vitamin D and the sex hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. Cholesterol assists in the conduction of nerve impulses by wrapping nerves in a myelin sheath.
Atherosclerosis or a clogging or narrowing of the arteries is a condition caused by very high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol creates scar tissue and it can cause a heart attack by impeding blood flow in the arteries of the heart or a stroke by limiting blood flow in the brain. A higher risk of peripheral vascular disease, strokes and heart attacks is associated with low levels of good or HDL cholesterol and high levels of bad or LDL cholesterol.
Given that heart attacks are one of the leading causes of death, it’s important to understand how to control the blood’s cholesterol levels. Your liver synthesizes most of the body’s cholesterol, as well as the adrenals, reproductive organs and intestines. A small portion of cholesterol comes from food items such as pork, shrimp, cuttlefish, poultry, egg yolks, beef, animal fat and cheese. Eating saturated and trans fats greatly increases the blood’s cholesterol levels.
You can lower cholesterol by eating a proper diet. You should eat less high-cholesterol foods such as egg yolks, cheese and animal fats. Limiting saturated and trans fats when you cook will also greatly lower your blood cholesterol. However, most people require additional assistance to control their cholesterol levels. A popular group of drugs called statins are currently being used to lower the production of cholesterol within the body. The drugs block HMG coA reductase, a critical enzyme in the liver required to produce cholesterol.
Lipitor, also called Liptor or Lipator, is the most popular type of statins. The drug can greatly lower high cholesterol levels which don’t respond to diet alone. Pfizer, the creator of Viagra, also produces Lipator or Lipitor. Because the liver continuously produces cholesterol, you need to take cholesterol medications for the rest of your life. The good news is that Lipitor or Lipator causes very few side effects, and they are mild.
Lipitor may cause common side effects such as nausea or headaches. More rarely, individuals may experience mild damage to their liver cells associated with an increase in liver enzymes such as AST, ALT and GGT. Certain individuals experience muscle pain caused by muscle damage as a result of an increase of the muscle enzyme creatine kinase in the blood.However, the rise of enzyme levels is not harmful, and will generally lower to normal levels within a few months after you discontinue taking Lipitor.
If you experience a moderate rise in muscle or liver enzymes, you should stop taking statins and try other therapeutic methods such as a strict diet or drugs that lower lipids such as fibrate alternatives. Nicotinic acid can be used to raise HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol, but it can cause unpleasant side effects such as itchiness, stomach upset or flushing.