Statins FAQs

Yes. As your care team’s leader, your Mercy PCP knows you’re being contacted.

We use the information in your medical record to determine your need for tests and medications. You can review MyMercy to make sure your medications and medical problems are correct and current. If you don’t have a MyMercy account, you can sign up here.

Statin medicines act in several ways, including lowering cholesterol, which prevents the blood clots that cause stroke and heart attack.

Your medical record indicates you’re not currently taking a statin medicine. Patients with diabetes have a higher chance of heart attack or stroke and can benefit from statins even more than patients without diabetes. 

Yes, statins are often thought of as cholesterol medications, but they can also be thought of as heart attack prevention medications. Patients with diabetes are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke and benefit from taking a statin.

While a heart stent or bypass surgery might improve the blood supply to part of the heart, the addition of a long-term statin medicine is essential to lower the chance of another heart attack or blockage in the future.

Your Mercy care team determines which statin medicine is best for you based on your medical problems, other medications, scientific evidence, convenience and cost. Usually, Rosuvastatin is prescribed unless your care team decides on a different one.

Statins are not short-term medications like antibiotics, which can be discontinued after the infection is gone. They’re more like blood pressure or diabetes medications in that they “control” a disease only if continually taken. Most patients take statins for long periods of time, perhaps throughout their lives. As we age, the risks of heart attack and stroke increase. The longer you take a statin, the greater the likelihood of preventing them.

There was initial concern about statins causing problems with memory and thinking, but many reliable scientific studies have not detected a connection between the two.

Most patients who take a statin don’t report any side effects. In most people, the potential benefits of taking a statin far outweigh the potential side effects.  However, some common side effects include:

• Muscle aches/weakness. About 10-20% of people on a statin report muscle aches or weakness. Most often, this is mild and might go away with continued use. If it’s more severe or bothersome, temporarily stop taking the medicine and make an appointment to talk to your doctor HERE [link]. Very rarely, people experience a serious muscle side effect called “rhabdomyolysis.”
• Liver-related lab changes. About 1% of people on a statin have a mild increase in their liver blood tests. Most, however, continue treatment without any additional problems.

Some people with diabetes or pre-diabetes see a mild increase in their blood sugar, but rarely enough to require a change in diabetes medicine. The benefits of statins far outweigh the risks of a slightly higher blood sugar. 

If you start taking a statin and have no problems, then you don’t need a special follow-up visit. If you’re concerned about side effects or have any other statin-related questions, your Mercy care team will be happy to see you. You can schedule a follow-up visit.