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Drugs That Affect Cholesterol Absorption

High cholesterol is a growing issue in American medicine. The cholesterol in the blood sticks to the sides of the arteries to form plaque. This plaque grows until the blood can no longer flow freely through the arteries. Statin drugs have been used to reduce that amount of cholesterol in the blood. Now there is a class of drugs that are said to affect cholesterol absorption.

  1. Function

    • The drugs prevent the cholesterol from being absorbed as the food passes through the intestines. This is the usual point where the cholesterol is absorbed.

    Identification

    • The American Heart Association calls this class of drugs "selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors."

    History

    • The first cholesterol absorption inhibitor was ezetimibe, which was given FDA approval in 2002. The brand name of the drug is Zetia.

    Comparison

    • Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors block the cholesterol before it could enter the blood stream. Traditional statins block creation of cholesterol in the liver. Thus, both can be called preventative measures.

    Misocnception

    • Both statins and selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors work primary on lowering the amount of LDL, or bad cholesterol, that reaches the blood stream. They cannot block it completely.

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