What You Need To Know About Crestor (Rosuvastatin) for Cholesterol

What Is Rosuvastatin?

Rosuvastatin is the generic name for Crestor. It is a commonly prescribed statin medication that is prescribed to individuals with high cholesterol.

Common Brand Names

Rosuvastatin is the generic name for Crestor. There are also other statin medications such as Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, Mevacor and more.

How It Works

Rosuvastatin, or Crestor, works in two ways to lower cholesterol. First, it blocks an enzyme in the liver to cause the liver to slow cholesterol production. It also increases the removal of cholesterol already in the blood. Crestor is typically combined with dietary changes to decrease circulating LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels. This helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues such as stroke, heart attack and more.

Is Crestor a Statin?

Yes, Crestor is a statin medication. It is the brand name of the generic rosuvastatin. Statins are a class of drugs that can help lower cholesterol when diet and exercise alone are insufficient.

Is This Prescription Medication Effective for Lowering Cholesterol?

Clinical studies have demonstrated that Crestor can be an effective cholesterol-lowering medication. Combined with dietary changes, Crestor has been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol by up to 55%. It has also been approved to help increase HDL levels, which is good cholesterol. Crestor has also been shown to have the additional benefit of slowing the progression of arterial plaque buildup. In short, Crestor is considered an effective prescription medication for those who need assistance lowering cholesterol levels when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough.

Understanding Your Dosage

Crestor dosage can vary based on individual needs, and it’s important to work with your healthcare provider to determine the best dose for you. With that being said, Crestor dosage can range from 5 to 40 mg once daily. The starting dose is usually 10 to 20 mg once daily. It’s important to stick to your doctor’s recommended dosage and report any side effects or health changes, negative or positive. Your doctor will monitor your progress and may adjust the dosage based on your reactions or feedback.

What Are the Side Effects?

As with any prescription medication, there are potential side effects you may experience when taking Crestor. Make sure to be aware of these side effects so you can report them to your healthcare provider. Side effects can vary based on dosage, so it’s especially important to communicate with your doctor so they can adjust the dosage or change medication as necessary. With that in mind, here are some of the most common side effects that people experience when taking Crestor:

• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Memory issues
• Confusion
• Elevated blood sugar levels
• Liver function abnormalities
• Trouble sleeping

These are all reversible by stopping the drug or adjusting the dosage downwards as recommended by your doctor. In rarer cases, you may experience the following more serious side effects:

• Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness (especially when experienced alongside a fever)
• Muscle problems that persist after stopping Crestor
• Feeling unusually tired
• Loss of appetite
• Upper stomach pain
• Dark urine
• Yellowing of skin or eyes

Note that these are not complete lists of all possible side effects. If you are noticing a change in how you feel after starting a statin, talk to your doctor. If you experience serious side effects, notify your doctor immediately.

Natural Alternatives

Some people may be unable to take statins like Crestor due to their medical history or the side effects of the medication. Also, statins aren’t always necessary for some people, and you can lower your cholesterol through natural alternatives instead. With that being said, natural alternatives should always be discussed with your doctor, and you should never stop taking statins unless your doctor recommends it. In most cases, a doctor won’t go right to prescription medications like Crestor unless the individual has known heart problems or is genetically driven to very high cholesterol levels. Instead, they will typically recommend dietary and lifestyle changes first. If you are able to change your diet to more heart-healthy foods and incorporate more exercise, it’s possible to lower cholesterol levels without needing to rely on medications. One great natural option for getting the diet part right is Step One Foods, which are clinically formulated to help lower cholesterol.

Step One Foods

Step One Foods is a great way to incorporate heart-healthy snacks and meals into your diet. We combine real food ingredients in a tasty way to deliver the four top nutrients that are clinically proven to help lower cholesterol levels. Our snacks are packed with whole food fiber, plant sterols, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants – food components essential to lowering cholesterol - making it convenient to get more of these nutrients into your daily routine.

Science-backed food as medicine

Whether you’re taking medication or looking to lower cholesterol without medication, food has always been a natural way to improve your numbers and your health. Even if you’re on statins, your doctor is likely to recommend dietary changes so you can improve faster and lower your drug dosage. To make these dietary changes easier, it’s a good idea to choose science-backed solutions like Step One Foods. Our snacks and meals have been evaluated in a controlled clinical trial conducted at Mayo Clinic and the University of Manitoba. On average, subjects in the trial saw LDL cholesterol lowered by 9% in just 30 days. Many subjects saw 20, 30, even close to 40% reduction in LDL. Overall, 80% of participants experienced positive outcomes, and 95% said they enjoyed eating the foods.

Just as easy as taking a pill, but WAY tastier.

Eating right to lower cholesterol can be challenging, especially if you are pressed for time. Just grab a Step One Foods snack and enjoy. It’s that easy. With just two snacks a day, you may see improvement in cholesterol levels in just 30 days.