|  | Conditions Treatments | Cholesterol

Over-the-Counter Remedies to Lower Cholesterol

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 17 percent of Americans over the age of 20 have high cholesterol. Because high cholesterol increases the likelihood of developing heart disease, many people take prescription medication to help lower their cholesterol. Some consumers would prefer an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that would promise a lower price tag and a greater accessibility. OTC medication, however, may not be the best option.

  1. Over-the-Counter Medication

    • In 2007, Merck pharmaceutical company petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to sell low-dose cholesterol medication OTC. The FDA ultimately rejected Merck's bid because the potential for self-diagnosis and unwarranted treatment posed risks to the public that didn't outweigh the benefits of OTC sales. Furthermore, according to the New York Times, the FDA had ample evidence to support its concern over self-diagnosis and treatment: 25 percent of the people who wanted Merck's OTC cholesterol drug didn't have cholesterol high enough to merit pharmaceutical treatment. In other words, treatment might have done more harm than good.

    Alternative Approaches to Cholesterol Management

    • There are alternatives to OTC or prescription drugs that may be just as effective and pose fewer risks of side effects. For example, in a study originally published in Scientific World Journal (2008) and later made available through the U.S. National Library of Medicine, doctors discovered that 70 g of natural honey consumed daily lowered overall cholesterol by 3 percent and didn't increase weight or body mass index.

      Another study originally published in Annals of Internal Medicine (2009) suggests red yeast rice may lower cholesterol dramatically: cholesterol dropped by 27 percent for those patients in the study who were given an 1800 mg supplement of red yeast rice daily for 12 weeks. John McKenzie from ABC News warns against a rash adoption of a red yeast rice supplement as the only treatment for serious cholesterol issues due to the lack of regulation of herbal remedies, which makes the quality and potency of the supplement questionable.

      Finally, the most readily available and most inexpensive method of cholesterol control is exercising and eating healthy.

Cholesterol - Related Articles