niacin vs statins

Answers from hundreds of doctors about benign to serious symptoms. Plus the best information on fitness, exercise and fat loss. How Much Worse Is a Total Cholesterol of 1,000 than 500? What are the side effects of statins and niacin? Scary Symptoms assumes no responsibility for ad content, promises made, or the quality or reliability of the goods or services offered in any advertisement. Okay, so what if you have great blood sugar levels and use the non-flush version of niacin? It is illegal to copy, reprint or republish any content or portions of content from this site without the author's permission. Statins can lower LDL cholesterol better than niacin can. Don’t let your cholesterol reach a point where you must decide between statins and niacin; practice preventive medicine via the right diet. “So even though it may lower cholesterol, the net benefit is more neutral for niacin than for statins. This is mainly due to adverse drug interactions that can occur and concern that niacin often carries more risks than benefits for people on statin therapy. Pa. Judge Opines State's Mail-in Ballot Procedures Likely Illegal... Pennsylvania High Court Rejects Lawsuit Challenging Election... Biden Considering Cindy McCain for UK Ambassador Role... House GOP: Censure Dem for Complaint in Trump Legal Team... Carter Page Suing FBI, DOJ for $75M Over Surveillance... Pa. Judge Opines State's Mail-in Ballot Procedures Likely Illegal, Pennsylvania High Court Rejects Lawsuit Challenging Election, Biden Considering Cindy McCain for UK Ambassador Role, House GOP: Censure Dem for Complaint in Trump Legal Team, Carter Page Suing FBI, DOJ for $75M Over Surveillance. © 2020 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved. Links will not be permitted. Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. “It can cause muscle achiness. In the past, it was thought that HDL levels would increase even more if niacin was added to cholesterol medications called statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Wednesday, 29 April 2015 04:36 PM. But niacin has the advantage of raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol much more than statins do. A common prescription for high triglycerides is niacin or vitamin B-3. This site may contain third-party advertisements and links to third-party sites. “The benefit data behind statins is actually quite strong, especially in individuals with heart disease, those with diabetes and those with persistently very high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels (over 190 mg/dL). Dr. Hibberd's answer: Yes. All text is copyright property of this site's authors. The main goal of cholesterol treatment is to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. “So even though it may lower cholesterol, the net benefit is more neutral for niacin than for statins. You may have read that niacin or niacinamide has a positive effect on cholesterol profile, and that some cholesterol drugs are “knockoffs” of vitamin B3. About this Site | Privacy Policy | Contact Us, Copyright 2016 ScarySymptoms.com | All Rights Reserved |, Lower Bad Cholesterol, Raise Good Cholesterol with Supplements. Niacin can raise HDL levels more than statins can. To date, niacin is the only supplement that shows real promise in helping cholesterol, but it can’t decrease LDL cholesterol like statins can. Providing easy-to-understand information about your medical concerns. This comprehensive limitation of liability applies to any kind of damage including (without limitation) compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damage to property and claims of third parties. “It can affect liver function,” says Dr. Klodas. It can cause flushing and itching [though non-flush versions are available].”. “Because the benefit data for primary prevention with statins (taking them as a purely precautionary step) is less robust, I always try to work hard with my patients to address their cholesterol profiles with lifestyle changes, especially diet.”. Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD. The content on this site is meant for information and guidance only, not for diagnosing or treating medical conditions. Scarysymptoms.com will not be liable for damages arising out of or in connection with the use of this site. “The benefit data behind statins is actually quite strong, especially in individuals with heart disease, those with diabetes and those with persistently very high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels (over 190 mg/dL). “Because my patients found it hard to modify their diet to get these nutrients in adequate amounts, I created Step One Foods to make it easy.”. “I only use high dose niacin as a second-tier therapy in those patients with known heart disease who cannot tolerate statins and don’t recommend them for diabetics. “Although most people think of niacin as just a vitamin, if you give it in high enough doses (the doses you need to budge cholesterol levels), it actually becomes a drug,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, board certified cardiologist and co-founder of Step One Foods. And if you take a look at the medical literature as a whole, niacin does not appear to be that effective in improving patient outcomes. But recent studies indicate that niacin provides little additional benefit when compared with statins alone, and may increase the risks of serious side effects. Does High Cholesterol Mean You Should Take Statin Drugs? Niacin can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). It also lowers triglycerides, fats in … Statins do this much better than niacin does. But you should know that niacin is no longer recommended as a first-line therapy when using statins. The key is not letting your cholesterol profile become undesirable in the first place. She continues: “And drugs have side effects. What to Do if You're 20 and Cholesterol is 250 or 300? Is that combination safe? Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service. The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Keep discussions on topic, avoid personal attacks and threats of any kind. By Peter Hibberd, M.D. Question: I am taking niacin, and Crestor, to lower my cholesterol. “If you take in enough food-based fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and plant sterols (and I have to emphasize that these nutrients need to come from REAL FOOD in its REAL FORM to be effective), chances are high that your cholesterol profile will improve,” says Dr. Klodas. Scary Symptoms does not make any representation regarding the accuracy of any information contained in those advertisements or sites, and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties. In-depth explanations of symptoms you won’t find on other sites. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Niacin is no longer recommended as a first-line therapy when using statins to lower cholesterol. |   Consult your physician before beginning any exercise or therapy program. Third-party ads or links to other websites where products or services are advertised are not endorsements or recommendations by Scary Symptoms for the third-party sites or their products or services. High dose niacin can make blood sugar control worse in people with diabetes and prediabetes. Niacin (nicotinic acid, or vitamin B3) is a vitamin that, when taken in high doses, can help lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL cholesterol.