How to Medicate High-Cholesterol

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Video Transcript

Female If you suffer from recurrent problems with your cholesterol levels your doctor may recommend a medication. How will your physician decide what is right for you?

Male: When prescribing a medication to regulate your cholesterol levels, your doctor will consider your medical history, age, lifestyle and most importantly your specific cholesterol problems. There are two types of cholesterol medication, one that lowers levels of bad LDL cholesterol and one that increases the amount of good HDL cholesterol in the body. Both can result in reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. The most commonly prescribed and most effective LDL lowering medications are in a class of drugs called Statins.

Statins include commonly prescribed drugs like Lipitor. Statins work by inhibiting the enzyme, which controls the rate of cholesterol production in the body. The result is often a decrease in LDL cholesterol by 20% to 60%. Statins are usually taken with the evening meal or bedtime. These medications are extremely well tolerated and side effects are rare. Another form of medication that lowers LDL cholesterol is Bile Acid Sequestrants which are marketed on their brand names like Questran and Colestid. Bile Acid Sequestrants bind with cholesterol containing bile acids in the intestine. This causes more bile acid to be release in the stool, lowering LDL cholesterol levels by up to 15%.

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors like a Ezetimibe or Zetia work by blocking the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines. These drugs are about as effective as the bile acid sequestrants in lowering LDL cholesterol. Both cholesterol absorption inhibitors and bile acid sequestrants, maybe more effective at lowering LDL cholesterol when combined with Statin. If low levels of the good cholesterol HDL is with a problem, your doctor may turn to a medication like Niacin, more commonly known as Vitamin B3.

The average American diet contains just 15 to 30 mg of Vitamin B3 daily. Using Niacin for cholesterol however, involves much higher doses up to 3 g per day. Niacin acid is available both as prescription and as an over the counter medication. It can raise HDL cholesterol by up to 35% but even the over-the-counter version should be use under a doctor's supervision. Not all people with high cholesterol require medication. In most cases, your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes like a low fat diet, daily exercise, and smoking cessation as the first three course. However, if your cholesterol levels do not fall with these measures in a bout three months, your doctor may prescribe one or a combination of these medications.

Cholesterol medications can be a great defense against high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. However, you should always take medications exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Female: You want to learn more, check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.