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What Is Simvastatin Used for?
Many people wonder, "What is Simvastatin used for?" Simvastatin is used for treating high cholesterol and high triglycerides, as well as preventing cardiovascular disease. Simvastatin has also been shown to lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke in some people. Also, the drug can decrease the chances of death by heart disease in people with existing heart disease, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease, among other conditions. The drug is approved to treat high cholesterol in children ages 10 to 17. There are currently no known off-label uses for Simvastatin.
Simvastatin is a medicine that has been licensed to treat several conditions. These Simvastatin uses are as follows:
- Treatment of high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
- Treatment of high triglycerides
- Prevention of heart or blood vessel disease (known as cardiovascular disease).
There are two forms of Simvastatin available: the brand name Zocor® and the generic version, called Simvastatin tablets.
Simvastatin is used for treating high cholesterol in those people who cannot lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes alone. Simvastatin can lower total cholesterol and LDL ("bad cholesterol") and increase HDL ("good cholesterol"). Simvastatin has also been shown to lower triglyceride levels in the blood.
Simvastatin is also used to decrease the chances of developing heart disease in people with existing coronary heart disease, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, other cardiovascular diseases, or a history of stroke. In these groups, Simvastatin has been shown to decrease the chances of:
- Death caused by heart disease
- A heart attack
- A stroke
- Needing a heart procedure, such as angioplasty or open heart surgery.
For people with type 2 diabetes and other risk factors for heart disease, Simvastatin is used for decreasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD