statin

noun stat·in \ ˈsta-tᵊn \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Definition of statin

: any of a group of drugs (such as lovastatin and simvastatin) that inhibit the synthesis 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 HDL circulating in blood plasma

Recent Examples of statin from the Web

Right now, doctors can consult a calculator found online or in electronic health records to decide whether patients might benefit from aspirin, statins, or blood pressure medications.

— elizabeth cooney, STAT, "New risk calculator could change the aspirin, statins, and blood pressure medications some people take," 4 June 2018
Controversy continues among doctors about whether people who have only risk factors but no personal history of cardiac events should be treated with statins at all.

— jill u. adams, Washington Post, "Statins help lower cholesterol, but are they the treatment for you?," 26 Feb. 2018
Debate has been raging about who should take statins, and several studies have taken issue with the accuracy of the risk calculator.

— jen christensen, CNN, "Statin recommendations may change, especially for African-Americans," 4 June 2018
Clinical trials have not demonstrated memory impairment due to statins (Journal of General Internal Medicine, March 2015).

— joe, The Seattle Times, "Are statins linked to memory problems?," 21 Jan. 2018
The now widely used statins, for example, emerged from a clearer understanding of the biochemical steps of cholesterol synthesis and how cells handle cholesterol and other lipids.

— mark c. fishman, STAT, "The miracle of medicines," 7 May 2018
Another shortcoming, notes biochemist Jan Gettemans of Ghent University, is that unlike many important drugs, including statins and the anti-HIV drug azidothymidine, the antibodies can't enter cells on their own.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "Mini-antibodies discovered in sharks and camels could lead to drugs for cancer and other diseases," 10 May 2018
In a study on more than 2,200 patients already taking statins, Esperion’s drug cut bad cholesterol 20 percent better than placebo over 12 weeks, the company said.

— damian garde, STAT, "A tiny biotech’s plot to frustrate Regeneron and Sanofi runs into a safety problem," 2 May 2018
The current labeling on statin prescriptions doesn’t help matters.

— jane e. brody, New York Times, "Weighing the Pros and Cons of Statins," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'statin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of statin

from -statin (as in lovastatin)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1985

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

statin

noun stat·in \ ˈstat-ᵊn \

medical Definition of statin

: any of a group of lipid-lowering drugs (as lovastatin and simvastatin) that function by inhibiting a liver enzyme which controls the synthesis of cholesterol and by promoting 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 HDL circulating in blood plasma