Back To Top
Back To Top
If you have recently started on statins, it is natural to have a lot of questions about how to take this medication for maximum effectiveness....
If you have recently started on statins, it is natural to have a lot of questions about how to take this medication for maximum effectiveness. When to take medication is a common question and you may have heard conflicting information about when to take statins. One common concern is whether taking statins in the morning is less effective. In this article we discuss some frequently asked questions focussed on the timing and effectiveness of statins such as “which statin can be taken in the morning?”
You may have heard of statins as they are a fairly common type of medication used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. So how do they do this? A key risk factor for stroke and heart disease is the buildup of ‘bad’ forms of cholesterol in your blood vessels. These make your blood vessels more rigid and narrow which is dangerous because it can increase the risk of clots forming (which increases the risk of stroke) or affect the health and function of the heart. Statins aim to target this risk of cholesterol build-up by blocking a chemical (HMG-CoA reductase) that is involved in producing cholesterol in the liver. By blocking this chemical, statins lower the levels of the bad cholesterol in the body. You can follow this link if you want to read more about medications to reduce cholesterol.
The natural process of your body making cholesterol peaks at night. Due to this, you may be recommended to take statins in the evening for optimal effectiveness. This may be especially important if you are taking short-acting statins. Long-acting statins may be less influenced by timing as their effect is maintained over a day. If you are unsure about the timing for taking statins, please consult your healthcare provider for advice.
Always follow your doctor’s advice on when to take the statin prescribed. Typically the timing for taking long-acting statins (e.g atorvastatin) may be less critical so it does not matter as much if you are taking it in the morning or the evening. A key factor is consistency, so pick a time that is convenient and easy for you to remember to take the statin.
For short-acting statins (e.g simvastatin), your doctor may advise that the medication will be more effective if taken in the evening to target the body’s natural rhythm of cholesterol production.
As a general outline, there are different types of statins mainly split into two groups: long-acting and short-acting statins. Some examples of long-acting statins include Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin; this type of statin maintains steady levels in the body for around 24 hours which means the timing for taking long-acting statins is more flexible. On the other hand, short-acting statins do not stay in the bloodstream for that long, therefore for optimal effectiveness you might be advised to take it in the evening. Some examples of short-acting statins include Simvastatin and Pravastatin.
To increase the effectiveness of statins, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle can be very helpful. For example:
| Lifestyle factor | Recommendations to improve statin effectiveness |
| Diet | For overall health, a balanced and nutritious diet is important. However, especially if you are taking statins, maintaining a healthy diet can help improve the benefits of the medication. Limit intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and instead try to eat more high-fibre foods which can help to lower bad cholesterol.
An important note is to avoid grapefruit juice as this can increase the risk of side effects with certain statins. |
| Exercise | For your overall health but especially if you have been prescribed statins, getting regular exercise (notably if it gets your heart rate up) can not only help boost ‘good’ cholesterol but also improve the health of your heart. If you are looking to start getting more exercise in your routine, the physical activity does not need to be intense, just regular and consistent. |
| Drinking and Smoking | It is advised to cut down on drinking if you are on statins. This is because both alcohol and statins target the liver so the combination may increase risks of side effects.
Smoking is harmful to blood vessels and should be avoided when on statins. |
| Stress | If you experience high levels of stress long-term and/or you find it difficult to sleep well, this can increase your ‘bad’ cholesterol levels that the statins are trying to reduce. Try to find good stress management strategies or relaxation techniques to improve your sleep. |
So can i take statins in the morning? Will it make the treatment less effective? A common myth about statin timing is that all statins must be taken at night. It is true that your doctor may advise you to take the statin in the evening, however this is likely to be a short-acting statin. Long-acting statins allow for more flexibility in when you take it as they remain active in the body for around 24 hours. If you have any further questions about statin timing, please consult your healthcare provider.
Typically, doctors recommend that you take the statin at a similar time every day. So can you take statins in the morning? It is important to follow the timing recommendations for different types of statin e.g short-acting statin in the evening vs long-acting statin has more flexibility in timing. If you notice any side effects especially unexplained muscle cramps or tenderness, please seek medical attention urgently.
To take statins safely, here are a few tips:
Hopefully you can now answer questions like “can you take a statin in the morning?” with the information in this article. However, the advice is general so for questions more specific to your situation, it is best to talk to your healthcare provider. Some examples where more individualised advice might be needed include:
Overall, the timing for taking statins can depend on the type of statin you are taking. It is also best to try and take it at a similar time every day and support statin treatment with healthy lifestyle habits such as a nutritious diet and stopping smoking. If you want help with these lifestyle changes, there are some options here at Meds For Less to support you such as vitamins and patches to help with smoking cessation.