LIPID METABOLISM DISORDERS

Statins are the standard medication for every type of atherosclerosis. Although it is the standard medication, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when treating cholesterol disorders in combination with atherosclerosis. It is essential that each patient with lipid metabolism disorder is treated individually, i.e. comorbidities should also be taken into account. Lifestyle modification measures are of considerable importance in overall treatment, and include weight loss and dietary changes. Among the disorders of interest are: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, and cholestatic liver disease.

Female pharmacy customer: Good morning. Do you speak English?

PTA: Good morning, yes I do. How may I help you?
My GP has just given me a prescription for a statin. I have heard so many stories from friends and family, that I am, frankly, unsure about taking them.

Oh, we get that all the time! We are here to help, so, no worries!
Is there anything that I should be careful about when taking them? I’ve seen so much on the internet.

Firstly, if you have any doubts or are unsure about your medication, you should either check with your family doctor or tell us here at the pharmacy. The problem with the internet is that, alongside the trustworthy sites, there are a lot of pseudoscientific websites spreading fear and misinformation.
Really?

For example, that taking statins actually makes it easier to get type 2 diabetes! Or that they can lead to mental confusion! The thing is that statins are among the most closely controlled medication available!
What about side effects?

One of the side effects is muscular discomfort. That is relatively rare and is associated more with higher doses, and I see that your doctor has prescribed one of the lower doses. This is probably to see how you get on with this dosage, which is usually the case, especially in the early stages.
Apparently, the fact that my cholesterol is out of whack has something to do with heredity.

If someone in your family has the problem, this increases the risk of developing it yourself. Fortunately, you seem to have caught it early, so that you can work on it. Lifestyle changes also help but your doctor probably told you this already.
Yes, she did. Well it is the time of New Year’s resolutions, so my next project is losing weight!

We have some really good dietary supplements here that could help you if you are interested.
Maybe another time, thank you. I have an appointment with a dietician next week, so we’ll see. You have been very helpful, thank you.

No problem! You are more than welcome. Goodbye and Happy New Year!
Thank you. Bye, bye!

You can find this article on page 57 in DIE PTA IN DER APOTHEKE 01/2022.

Catherine Croghan, Lecturer in English and native speaker