statin

noun

stat·​in ˈsta-tᵊn 

: 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

Examples of statin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

IC7Fc sharply lowered blood lipid levels, far more than statins did. —New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025

Some evidence suggests that combining pomegranate with statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) could be dangerous. —Jinan Banna, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2025

What statin prescription bottles are under the recall? —James Powel, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

High inflammation can be treated with statins, but with a healthy cholesterol reading, these women would not qualify for a statin prescription. —Linda Carroll, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from -statin (as in lovastatin)

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for statin

• aten
• clayton
• satan
• straighten
• creatine

Medical Definition

statin

noun

stat·​in ˈstat-ᵊn 

: 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