statin

noun

stat·in | \ ˈsta-tᵊn

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

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The patients in the trial were on statins and had a wide range of triglyceride levels. — Betsy Mckay, WSJ, "New Guidelines for Treating High Cholesterol Take a Personal Approach," 10 Nov. 2018 Because these drugs often cause high cholesterol, for example, someone taking antipsychotics may also take a statin (drugs prescribed to help lower cholesterol). — Kasandra Brabaw, SELF, "7 Myths You Might Believe About Antipsychotic Medications," 7 Dec. 2018 Fungi are hailed for their medical uses, having proved vital for antibiotics and for cholesterol-lowering statins, but even fungus fans admit there is a macabre element to some aspects of fungi life. — Gregory Katz, The Seattle Times, "Royal Botanic Garden seeks respect for world’s fungus," 11 Sep. 2018 Certain medications like statins (which are used for cholesterol), blood pressure-lowering medications, and opioids are all known to naturally evoke an itchy sensation that’s not necessarily accompanied by any skin lesions. — Ratika Gupta, SELF, "An Allergist Explains Why You Might Be Itchy All Over, Even Though You Don’t Have a Rash," 13 Sep. 2018 Based on the data, doctors decide whether to prescribe aspirin, blood pressure or statin medications — and how much. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "More than 11 million Americans prescribed wrong dose of common drugs, scientists say," 6 June 2018 Blockbusters including penicillin and statins, which lower cholesterol, came from fungi. — Peter Andrey Smith, Bloomberg.com, "This Fungus Could Help Cure Cancer," 4 June 2018 Twenty years ago, Bristol-Myers Squibb ’s best selling statin, Pravachol, generated annual sales of $1.6 billion. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "What Is Ailing the Drug Industry?," 22 June 2018 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

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.

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The first known use of statin was in 1985

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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