statin

Main Entry: stat·in
Pronunciation: 'stat-^&n
Function: noun
: any of a group of drugs (as lovastatin and simvastatin) that inhibit thesynthesis of cholesterol and promote the production of LDL-binding receptors in the liver resulting in a usually marked decrease in the level of LDL and a modest increase in the level of HDLcirculating in blood plasma

statin stat·in (stāt'n)
n.
Any of a class of drugs that reduce serum cholesterol levels by inhibiting a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.

statin   (stāt'n)  Pronunciation Key  Any of a class of drugs that inhibit a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of cholesterol and promote receptor binding of LDL-cholesterol, resulting in decreased levels of serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and increased levels of HDL-cholesterol.

statin

drug that acts to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA (5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A) reductase, which is required for cholesterol synthesis. Examples of statins include simvastatin, pravastatin, and lovastatin. Statins are generally quite safe, but side effects may include muscle pain and fatigue. A rare side effect called myopathy, characterized by muscle degeneration, has been associated with a mutation in a gene involved in mediating liver uptake of statins.

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