Many doctors prescribe statin drugs as a way to help reduce the risk of heart attacks. The major benefit of these drugs is their ability to reduce cholesterol. However they can also help improve triglyceride levels.

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Most doctors focus on the improvement on cholesterol levels , but Mayo Clinic doctors advise that triglycerides are another important measure of heart health. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood made when the body takes in more calories than it needs. The body makes triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. While triglycerides and cholesterol are both lipids, they have different functions. Triglycerides are essentially stored energy, while cholesterol helps build cells.

The National Institute of Health advises that about 40-million Americans could potentially benefit from taking statins.

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Epidemiology professor Dr. Michael Miller reviewed the effects of triglycerides for Medscape. Miller reported, “statins reduce triglyceride levels in the range of 10 percent to 20 percent.” The effect is even greater in people who had particularly high triglyceride levels before starting statin therapy.

An older study in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology showed patients taking statins for two months experienced a significant difference in triglyceride levels. The scientists conducting the study concluded, “The more effective the statin is in decreasing LDL cholesterol, the more it will also be in decreasing serum triglycerides.


ALERT: 4 Things You'll Feel Before a Heart Attack

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