What Are Statins Made of?
Statins, a class of medications first introduced in the late 1980s, reduce blood levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the so-called bad cholesterol, and boost levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), the good cholesterol. Statins accomplish this task by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that plays a key role in the body’s production of cholesterol. The active ingredients in statin drugs are derived either from a fermentation process or manufactured synthetically.
