Treatments To Reduce High Cholesterol
Once your doctor has looked at your cholesterol test report, he will base your treatment on your cholesterol levels and overall health. At first, he may want to lower your cholesterol by modifying your life style. If your cholesterol levels are still high after improving your lifestyle, you may need the help of cholesterol medication.
Depending on what your lipid profile looks like, you may be prescribed either one drug or a combination of drugs.
Prescription Cholesterol Lowering Medicines
Statins
For the initial drug treatment of hypercholesterolemia, HMG-CoA
reductase inhibitors are often used because of their effectiveness and
low incidence of side effects. These drugs are used to help every part
of your lipid profile. This treatment is especially beneficial for
high risk patients.
Bile Acid Resins
Bile acid resins are mainly used in young adult patients or in
combination with another cholesterol-lowering medication. They work by
binding bile acid in your intestines. Bile acid resins lower LDL
between 15 to 30 percent, but only have a modest effect on HDL and do
not affect triglyceride levels. They also interact with other
medications that you might be on
Fibrates
If you have elevated triglyceride levels, a fibric acid derivative may
be most effective for you. It works by decreasing the liver's
production of triglycerides. Additionally, fibric acid derivatives (or
"fibrates") such as gemfibrozil also increase HDL-C (good cholesterol)
production. They are not as effective in lowering LDL as much as
triglycerides.
Absorption Inhibitors
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors are a new class of cholesterol
lowering agents and work together with statins. This class of drugs
works by absorbing excess cholesterol from foods in the intestines,
thus blocking cholesterol's entry into the bloodstream. This drug
slightly lowers LDL and triglycerides and slightly raises HDL.
Therefore, it may be taken with statin to greatly lower cholesterol
levels.
Niacin
Niacin works by decreasing the amount of cholesterol made by the
liver. It greatly raises HDL levels, lowers LDL levels and
significantly lowers triglyceride levels
Alternative Cholesterol Treatment
There are alternatives that you might take alone or as a supplement to
your prescribed medication. Be sure this is done with your doctor’s
knowledge and advice. Many spices, amino acids, plant products (like
sterols), foods and nutraceuticals (like policosanol and red rice
yeast extract) are known as foods good for cholesterol sufferers. In
conjunction with a diet low in cholesterol, these foods should work
great.
New and Radical Treatments
Cholesterol Apheresis
Cholesterol apheresis is a blood-filtering technique similar to kidney
dialysis where it strips the blood of LDL cholesterol. It is not a
first line therapy. It is reserved for patients who have tried all of
the above treatments and still have dangerously high cholesterol
levels. It is done once every two to three weeks and is quite costly.
However, it is highly effective. Studies indicate it lowers the risk
of cardiovascular events by 50 percent to 70 percent, compared to
patients receiving traditional therapy.
Additional Information on Cholesterol
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