What Are the Success Rates for Treatment for High Cholesterol?

High cholesterol puts people at risk for a number of heart problems. There are many different treatments available for high cholesterol, and some are more effective than others. Reducing your cholesterol by just 1 percent reduces your risk of heart disease by percent.

Statins

• Statin drugs are the most common type of medications prescribed for the treatment of high cholesterol. They include drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin). Statins have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels by up to 50 percent. These drugs are not recommended for patients with liver disease, however, and patients who take them must be monitored closely for liver problems.

Bile Acid Binding Resins

• These medications, like Questran (cholestyramine) and Colestid (colestipol), lower cholesterol by binding with bile acids. The liver is forced to use excessive cholesterol to produce new bile acids. They are significantly less effective than statin drugs, though, only reducing cholesterol levels by about 10 percent.

Fibric Acid

• Fibric acid drugs like Lopid (gemfibrozil) are effective at lowering triglycerides and are moderately effective at lowering LDL levels. They are less effective than statin drugs.

Niacin

• Niacin, or vitamin B 3, is sometimes used to treat high cholesterol. Unfortunately, niacin is not as effective at lowering cholesterol as drugs like statins are, but it does have the benefit of having fewer potentially harmful side effects. It is important to note that niacin is very effective at raising HDL, or "good cholesterol," usually raising it by 15 to 35 percent.

Diet and Exercise

• Dietary changes and a regular exercise regimen are usually the first line of defense that is recommended if a patient's cholesterol begins to get too high. Eating a low-fat diet and exercising have a modest effect on cholesterol levels, but that may be sufficient if cholesterol is not too high to begin with.