A Review Of The 3 Main Varieties Of Cholesterol Lowering Medications

Hearing from your health care provider that you have got high cholesterol can be terrifying information. Most people know that having high cholesterol can lead to cardiovascular disease and consequently a heart attack or stroke. Even though there can be a number of techniques you could try to decrease your numbers, including diet and exercise, several people look into the medication options available. What drugs are offered to lower cholesterol levels, and which of them may be right for you?

To begin with, this article is intended exclusively as information. It is not supposed to counsel or give any direction. If you do have high cholesterol or think you do make sure you discuss all options and medicines with your personal doctor.

There are three classes of prescription cholesterol drugs available. These four classes consist of:

1. Statins. These drugs are very typical lately and most people have heard of statins, even as long as they do not have high cholesterol. Unfortunately, the reason why most people have heard of these drugs is because these may be becoming over prescribed.

The benefit of using statins is that these drugs are very effective and can lower cholesterol by up to 50-60%. This can drastically decrease the chance of cardiac arrest or stroke. There is even proof that people that do not have high cholesterol can receive the benefit of a reduced risk of heart attack or stroke by taking statins.

The negative that you must take into consideration when taking statins is that they have some severe side effects. Muscle breakdown can occur. This ultimately can lead to kidney failure, but at the very least can cause aches and pains.

2. Bile acid sequestrants. These drugs work by ridding the body of bile acids. This is good as bile acids are involved with the production of cholesterol. The less bile acid you have the less cholesterol you will have. Cholesterol levels can decrease by up to 20% with bile acid sequestrants.

The bad news regarding bile acid sequestrants is that they can cause some side effects. Though not as severe as the side effects a result of statins, you may experience gastrointestine issues, including constipation, nausea, and gas. Other side effects consist of weight loss, headaches, and sore muscles.

3. Triglyceride inhibitors. Triglycerides are involved with the product of lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol through the blood. Triglyceride inhibitors prevent lipoproteins from being made. With fewer lipoproteins there are going to be a lower number of cholesterol in the blood.

These drugs can lower cholesterol by as much as 10-14%. The effectiveness of preventing heart attacks has not been proven. Furthermore, diabetics can't take this medication as it raises blood sugar.

The overview of available prescription cholesterol drugs found here will provide you with a better understand of what medication is available, how they all work, and what the benefits and negatives are of each. Generally, with additional benefits (higher decrease in cholesterol levels) you may face more serious side effects. Be sure to talk about all available drugs with your doctor so that you both can come to a decision on what action to take to help lower your cholesterol levels.


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BONUS: Christine Crotts has published a new article looking at the positives and negatives relying on medication for cholesterol control. It is one of many articles she has written about how to reduce bad cholesterol.