High Cholesterol Support Group
High cholesterol is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is not a disease but a metabolic derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute to many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease. If you have high cholesterol, join the community to find support and share your experience.
i'll just be honest...i've been supposed to go in for a checkup to make sure lipitor isn't messing with my liver...but i haven't. does anyone know the frequency of issues here? am i being really stupid?
Depends on which statin and at what dose BUT here are the stats for Lipitor:
1) HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor therapy (like LIPITOR) may be associated with elevated hepatic enzymes.
2) The abnormalities generally resolve upon withdrawal of the drug.
3) 0.7% of patients developed persistent increased transaminase levels (AST and ALT) while receiving Lipitor
4) The incidence of Liver Function test elevations was 0.2%, 0.6%, 0.6%, and 2.3% for 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg, respectively.
5) It IS Pretty rare..but Liver function tests should be performed before the initiation of treatment, and at 12 weeks of therapy OR AFTER an elevation in dose...and periodically (like every 6 months) thereafter.
Dr O.