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Different Cholesterol Meds

High cholesterol is potentially lethal. Serious health conditions such as heart disease and stroke can occur when high cholesterol is left untreated. It's important to have your levels checked annually and seek treatment if necessary. In addition to diet and exercise changes, there are a number of medications that can help balance your cholesterol levels.

  1. What the Drugs Accomplish

    • The job of most cholesterol medications is threefold. They work to lower your LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease. They also reduce your triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that can fuel heart disease. Finally, cholesterol medications boost your HDL, or "good" cholesterol, which guards against heart disease. Keep in mind that medication controls, but does not "cure," high cholesterol and that your LDL levels may go up again if you discontinue drug treatment.

    Statins

    • Statins include the brand names Altoprev (lovastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin). Statins decrease your LDL cholesterol while raising HDL levels. They have only a slight lowering influence on triglycerides.

    Bile Acid Binding Resins

    • This class of drug goes by the brand names Colestid (colestipol), Questran (cholestyramine) and Welchol (colesevelam). Bile acid binding resins focus exclusively on lowering your LDL cholesterol levels.

    Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors

    • Cholesterol absorption inhibitors are sold under the brand name Zetia (ezetimibe). This medication lowers LDL levels, gives a slight boost to HDL levels and slightly decreases triglycerides.

    Fibrates

    • Fibrates have no effect on LDL cholesterol levels but they raise HDL levels and lower triglycerides. Fibrates are sold under the brand names of Lofibra (fenofibrate), Lopid (gemfibrozil) and TriCor (fenofibrate).

    Nicotinic Acid

    • Nicotinic acid---also known as niacin or vitamin B-3---should be used only with the close supervision of your doctor. It is sold under the brand names Niaspan (prescription niacin) and Slo-Niacin (non-prescription niacin). Nicotinic acid lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.

    Side Effects

    • The side effects associated with cholesterol medications vary slightly from drug to drug, but can include stomach pain, fatigue, constipation and muscle soreness.

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