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Dr. Kahlon shares when a patient can replace statin therapy, a medication taken for high cholesterol, with red rice yeast. Dr. Kahlon is a well respected physician leader serving on the Endovascular committee of the Medical Staff at Banner Baywood Heart Hospital in Mesa, Arizona.
Dr. Kahlon:
Red rice yeast is a topic which comes often in our discussions with patients because there is lot of awareness about side effects from statins and people have thought and looked for alternatives for treating side effects of statin therapy, so red rice yeast is often agent which can be supplanter for statin therapy.
One thing is very important to understand about red rice yeast is that it is a precursor of statins, that’s what statins were originally derived from. So if you take red rice yeast your precautions of liver toxicity, that means injury to your liver, or any injury to your muscles still remains elevated because it does behave exactly like statins. It just happens to be a natural unpurified version of it.
So yes, it can be used in place of a statin, but it does require monitoring just as you would if you were taking a statin therapy and it should never ever be taken in conjunction with statin therapy because now you are doubling the likelihood of side effects by taking two different agents which could have similar side effects.
So there is a role for red rice yeast if you are intolerant to statin therapy, but it should be monitored. It’s not something like any other over-the-counter product that you can take and not worry about any close medical follow-up. So it has to be followed up closely with repeat testing of your liver functions.
About Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon, M.D.:
Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, Echocardiography, Interventional Cardiology and Internal Medicine. He completed his Fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency at the St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Emory University and his Residency in Cardiology.
Keywords:
Conditions: Heart Disease, Coronary Artery Disease, Valvular Heart Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiomyopathy, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heart Attack
Related Terms: Artherosclerotic Stenosis, Arrhythmia, Red Rice Yeast, Statin Therapy, Hypertension, Hip to Waist Ration, Arterial Blockage, Plaque, Blod Clot,
Chest Tightness, Shortness of Breath, Stent, EKG, Heart Bypass Surgery
Expert: Dr. Jaskamal P. S. Kahlon, Jaskamal P S Kahlon, M.D., Heart Expert Dr. Kahlon, Cardiologist, Internist
Expertise: Peripheral Artery Disease, Heart Disease Risks, Heart Disease Management, Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome, Heart Disease Prevention, Blood Pressure Testing, Cholesterol Testing, Robotic Catheter Ablation, Coronary Artery Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Echocardiography, Arrhythmia
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