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From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, also called statins, are "compounds that inhibit HMG-CoA reductases, which reduce the chemical 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA. They have been shown to directly lower cholesterol synthesis.^[1]

Contents 1 Classification 1.1 Type 1 1.2 Type 2 2 Effectiveness 3 References

Classification

The following classification has been proposed based on molecular structure:^[2][3]

Type 1

Type 1 statins (e.g., mevastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin) bind to HMG-CoA reductase using a decalin ring.

Type 2

Type 2 statins (e.g., fluvastatin, cerivastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin) bind to HMG-CoA reductase using a fluorophenyl group.

Effectiveness

Statin therapy benefits about 1 of every 24 diabetic patients who use the treatment for 5 years if they are similar to the patients in the meta-analysis by Kearney et al (Number needed to treat is 24).^[4]

References

1. ↑ Anonymous. Hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
2. ↑ Istvan ES, Deisenhofer J (2001). "Structural mechanism for statin inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase". Science 292 (5519): 1160–4. DOI:10.1126/science.1059344. PMID 11349148.
3. ↑ Istvan E (2003). "Statin inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase: a 3-dimensional view". Atheroscler Suppl 4 (1): 3–8. PMID 12714031.
4. ↑ Kearney PM, Blackwell L, Collins R, et al (2008). "Efficacy of cholesterol-lowering therapy in 18,686 people with diabetes in 14 randomised trials of statins: a meta-analysis". Lancet 371 (9607): 117–25. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60104-X. PMID 18191683.