Reducing cholesterol:
Since lipid-lowering drugs are metabolized in the liver, they can exacerbate liver damage. Therefore, patients with active hepatitis are not suitable for taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Atherosclerosis is a relatively slow process. Temporarily stopping lipid-lowering drugs during a certain period has a negligible negative impact on the long-term effectiveness of treating primary hypercholesterolemia. Moreover, cholesterol and other products of its biosynthetic pathway are essential components for fetal development, including steroid and cell membrane synthesis.
It is worth noting that statin lipid-lowering drugs reduce cholesterol biosynthesis while also reducing other products of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. The use of these drugs during pregnancy may harm the fetus. Therefore, pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take cholesterol-lowering drugs, and suspending their use benefits far outweigh the risks.
Whether lipid-lowering drugs and their metabolites are secreted in human milk is currently lacking in research, and there is no sufficient theoretical and evidence-based proof.
Since many drugs are secreted in human milk and lipid-lowering drugs have potential adverse reactions, it is not suitable for breastfeeding women to take lipid-lowering drugs.
It is evident that not all patients with coronary heart disease are suitable for cholesterol-lowering treatment. Patients aged 70 years or older, those with chronic congestive heart failure, dementia, advanced cerebrovascular disease, or active malignant tumors, undertaking lipid-lowering treatment would have significant drawbacks.
