Cholesterol levels can always be improved by lifestyle changes. Getting a regular physical activity schedule, avoiding smoking and eating a healthy diet are just some of the handy changes you can make. But, if you already tried all of these changes and the level of your total cholesterol - in particular the level of your LDL cholesterol - remains pretty high, then your doctor may just recommend certain low cholesterol medications.
Depending on various factors, the specific choice of medication or combination of medication includes your individual risk factors, your current health, your age and possible side effects. Common choices include:
Statins - are one of the most popular low cholesterol medication prescribed (block a substance your liver needs to make cholesterol). This medication actually works be depleting the cholesterol in your liver cells which will cause your liver to remove cholesterol from your blood. Potentially reversing coronary artery disease, statins may also help your body by reabsorbing cholesterol from accumulated deposits on your artery walls. Examples of statins are as follows: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altoprev, Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor).
Bile-acid-binding resins - We all know that the liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, right? This substance is needed for digestion. These medications help lower cholesterol indirectly by binding to bile acids. It reduces the level of cholesterol in your blood by prompting your liver to use excess cholesterol to make more bile acids. Choices of medication include: cholestyramine (Prevalite, Questran), colesevelam (WelChol) and colestipol (Colestid)
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors - Your small intestine absorbs the cholesterol from your diet and it releases it in your bloodstream, which obviously makes your cholesterol level high. These absorption inhibitors help by limiting the absorption of dietary cholesterol in your bloodstream. Choices of medication include the drug ezetimibe (Zetia) which can be used in combination with any of the statin drugs.
Combination cholesterol absorption inhibitor and statin - This combination of medications decreases production of cholesterol in your liver, but also the absorption of dietary cholesterol in your small intestine. Choices of medication of this type include the drug ezetimibe-simvastatin (Vytorin)
Remember that the effectiveness of these medications varies from person to person, and that generally they are well tolerated. Known and common side effects are constipation, nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea. Your doctor may recommend a period liver function test in order to monitor the medication's effect on your liver, if you ever decide to take cholesterol medication.
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