Does Using Lipitor to Lower Your Cholesterol Actually Reduce Your Heart Attack Risk?
Do you have high cholesterol? Are you thinking of using Lipitor to help you lower your cholesterol? Lipitor is said to help reduce your risk for heart attacks and other diseases. However, some people are not too sure about this. Can Lipitor actually reduce your risk?
Lipitor is a prescribed medication to help lower your cholesterol levels. Lipitor blocks the enzyme that produces cholesterol therefore lowering your level. The downside to this cholesterol lowering medication is the side effects. Every patient experiences different side effects, but some might consider them too risky.
One of the major side effects of Lipitor is muscle disease and muscle pain along with liver problems. If you experience any of these symptoms notify your doctor immediately. These can be very serious and even fatal if not noticed right away.
Lipitor in fact could help you reduce your risk of heart attacks if used in conjunction with diet and exercise. However, Lipitor is not for everyone so you want to talk with your doctor to see if it will work for you.
If you are worried about taking a prescription for your cholesterol there are many low cholesterol diets you could try. Alternating your eating habits is one great diet that is less strict and easier to do.
Watching small things can make a big difference when it comes to your health. Eat more lean meats and less fatty foods. Avoid saturated fats at all costs and try to watch your sodium and salt intake as well.
Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains. Oatmeal is a great cholesterol reducer so eat this for breakfast every chance you can. Try using more spices instead of fatty flavoring products like butter and shortening. You might be surprised at the meals you can prepare with more flavor using only spices.
There are a few diets that you could try out as well such as the Mediterranean diet, Mayo Clinic diet, vegetarian diet or even a low fat diet. Using skim milk instead of whole milk and whole grain flour instead of white flour can also help your cholesterol levels.
Put together a daily exercise regimen that you can follow along with your diet. Regular exercise is a great way to help your cholesterol level. You might find it overwhelming at first if you are not used to this kind of routine, but it will get easier over time.
The benefits of doing exercise and watching your diet is that you will feel so much better and be healthier. When having to take statins to help your cholesterol you run into dealing with the side effects whether minor or major.
Talk to your doctor about taking statins only if exercise and diet do not work for you. While the statins might help faster it is safer to go without if possible. Do some research and find out your options of lowering your cholesterol without statins. If you do need a statin, Lipitor might be the cholesterol lowering medication for you.
