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Pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant in the near future are advised not to take statins. These medications block the formation of cholesterol, which is needed for the fetus to properly develop. Statin use during pregnancy could lead to birth defects. Women who think they may have become pregnant while taking this medication should contact their physicians immediately. Statins are also not recommended for women who are breast feeding.

Child use issues with statins

It has been reported that approximately 50 million children in the U.S. have high cholesterol levels. However, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force does not encourage the routine screening of all young children because coronary heart disease tends to begin later in life.

The majority of clinical trials on the use and effectiveness of statins have been conducted on adults. A limited number of studies conducted have shown that these medications may be safe and effective for use in children under 18. However the long-term effects of such use have not been determined. In addition, appropriate doses have not been determined for use by children and the effectiveness of statins has not been compared to other lipid-lowering tools and medications in children. Recent findings have suggested that a prescribed regimen of vitamins C and E can help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in children with abnormally high cholesterol levels.

Elderly use issues with statins

Statin use has been tested to determine safety and effectiveness in a limited number of older adults (age 65 and older). Researchers found no reason to believe that the use of statins in older adults causes any different side effects, risks or concerns than it does in younger adults. In fact, study results find that statins significantly reduce the rates of death and coronary events in elderly patients. This is an important piece of information since other research has revealed that statins are under-used in the elderly population. There is some evidence to suggest that the risk of developing a severe complication called rhabdomyolysis is higher in elderly patients taking statins. However, this potentially fatal side effect is still extremely rare. Patients are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their physicians.

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