The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines drinking in moderation as one alcoholic drink each day for women and two drinks for men. Use extra-virgin olive oil to make a dipping sauce for whole-grain bread. However, researchers who are studying the beneficial effects of alcohol on preventing heart disease define moderate drinking as up to two drinks each day for women and up to four drinks each day for men. When talking about the effect of alcohol on liver disease related to statins, it's important to note that severe liver injury is not usually due to the cumulative effect of the injury. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i27.6201, Maji D, Shaikh S, Solanki D, Gaurav K. Safety of statins. 2017. Ⓒ 2020 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. In addition, those who have liver disease due to chronic hepatitis C infections may respond better to medications (interferon) when they are given statins. (Of note is that alcohol worsens hepatitis C.). Can you drink alcohol while taking cholesterol medication? You only need to activate your account once. 2013;17(4):636–646. Although red wine has theoretical advantages for the heart, studies suggest that all forms of alcohol are equally protective as long as the dose is right. Some side effects may be dangerous, so make sure you and others are aware of what may happen, and you are … Drinking alcohol while on statins Overall, there are no specific health risks associated with drinking while using statins. I take HydroDiuril and Lipitor. Does low-dose alcohol increase the likelihood that a statin will cause liver inflammation? Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Get health information and advice from the experts at Harvard Medical School. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Lipitor and other statins may reduce your risk of heart disease, but alcohol, through causes such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy and much more, may worsen your risk. Thankfully, you won't have to go very far to hear wonderful success stories from people who have been given a new lease on life after quitting. Smokers may have higher risk of brain aneurysm, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, Get trusted advice from the doctors at Harvard Medical School, Learn tips for living a healthy lifestyle, Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in health, Receive special offers on health books and reports. Both articles and products will be searched. Clinically apparent liver injury—injury enough to causes symptoms rather than simply abnormal liver function tests alone—is very uncommon with statins, unlike the elevations in liver enzymes alone we just noted. Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our, Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD, Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD, Medically reviewed by Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, Verywell Health uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Fortunately, the inflammation is usually mild; it resolves when statins are stopped, but many doctors believe it's safe to continue statin therapy even if mild liver test abnormalities develop. The use of statins alone, or in combination with pioglitazone and other drugs, for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and related cardiovascular risk. An Expert Panel Statement. Some people cannot handle alcohol and it may interfere with other drugs, so ask your doctor. An increase (up to three times normal) in these values occurs in roughly 3% of people. What we have learned over time, however, is that most of the time these elevations are only temporary and not usually dangerous. Q. I'm 72 years old, with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So a question about whether you should combine these drugs with alcohol deserves a careful answer. But alcohol can have side effects, usually due to drinking too much or at the wrong time (before driving, for example). Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Lipitor and Other Statins? Please note: If you have a promotional code you'll be prompted to enter it prior to confirming your order. Why do my legs swell at the end of the day? How dangerous is it to drink alcohol if I’m on a blood thinner? Rather, drug-induced liver disease is usually an autoimmune condition, in which the drug prompts some people's bodies to make antibodies which attack their own liver tissue. This is considered an "idiosyncratic" reaction, something that isn't well understood and can't be predicted. Despite this difference, they share an important proviso: each should be used responsibly. If you drink at all, take a moment and try a quiz to see if you may have an alcohol use problem. The men were randomly assigned to take low- or high-dose lovastatin (Mevacor — the first statin drug). Can adopting a healthier diet help fight prostate cancer? Regarding wine, one drink is 5 ounces. This is not a license to drink. Updated August 13, 2019. For those who consume large amounts of alcohol (more than two drinks per day for a man or more than one drink per day for women), there is likely much more to be concerned about than the effect on your liver of combining statins and alcohol. Fact sheets—moderate drinking. An Expert Panel Statement. According to the U.S. Department of … Metabolism. Related: Cholesterol Testing: What Do Your Results Mean? The conclusion of a 2017 study was that statins used for people with cirrhosis might actually reduce liver failure and complications of liver failure such as portal hypertension. Statins are currently being evaluated for their ability to reduce the worsening of liver disease in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Did you know the most common forms of heart disease are largely preventable? 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