If you are concerned about preventing or treating unhealthy cholesterol levels, you should make diet and lifestyle changes. For some people, diet and lifestyle changes may be enough. For others, medication may also be needed.Your
doctor can assess your risk for a heart attack or stroke based on your
cholesterol levels and other risk factors. From there, you can work with
your doctor to develop a treatment and prevention plan that's right for
you.Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Various medications can
lower blood cholesterol levels. Statins are recommended for most
patients because they are the only cholesterol-lowering drug class that
has been directly associated with reduced risk for heart attack and
stroke. Your doctor may consider other medications as well, especially
if you have serious side effects or don’t have an adequate response to
statin therapy alone.
The
guidelines recommend people talk to their doctor about the risks and
benefits of statin therapy if they fall into one of the following
groups:
- Adults with LDL (bad) cholesterol of 70-189 mg/dL and
a 7.5 percent or higher risk for having a heart attack or stroke within
10 years.
- People with a history of a cardiovascular event
(heart attack, stroke, stable or unstable angina, peripheral artery
disease, transient ischemic attack, or coronary or other arterial
revascularization).
- People 21 and older who have a very high level of LDL (bad) cholesterol (190 mg/dL or higher).
- People with diabetes and a LDL (bad) cholesterol level of 70-189 mg/dL who are 40 to 75 years old.
Some patients who do not fall into these four major categories may also benefit from statin therapy.
Any decision about treatment should be the result of you working with your doctor to decide the best preventive strategy.
View an animation to see how cholesterol drugs work.
*Some
of the major types of commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications
are summarized in this section. For your information and reference, we
have included generic names as well as major trade names to help you
identify what you may be taking; however, the AHA is not recommending or endorsing any specific products.
If your prescription medication isn't on this list, remember that your
healthcare provider and pharmacist are your best sources of information.
It's important to discuss all of the drugs you take with your doctor
and understand their desired effects and possible side effects. Never
stop taking a medication and never change your dose or frequency without
first consulting your doctor.
*Some cholesterol-lowering
medications may interact with grapefruit, grapefruit juice, pomegranate
and pomegranate juice. Please talk to your health care provider about
any potential risks.
This class of drugs works in the liver to prevent the
formation of cholesterol, thus lowering the amount of cholesterol
circulating in the blood. Statins are most effective at lowering LDL
(bad) cholesterol, but also have modest effects on lowering
triglycerides (blood fats) and raising HDL (good) cholesterol. Most
side effects are mild and generally go away as your body adjusts.
Muscle problems and liver abnormalities are rare, but your doctor may
order regular liver function tests. Patients who are pregnant or who
have active or chronic liver disease should not take statins. Talk to
your doctor about the possible side effects of statins before starting
the drug.Statins currently available in the U.S. include:Buy Atorvastatin (Lipitor®)**Fluvastatin (Lescol®)**Lovastatin (Mevacor®, Altoprev™)**Pravastatin (Pravachol®)**Buy Rosuvastatin Calcium (Crestor®)**Buy Simvastatin (Zocor®)**Statins
are also found in the combination medications Advicor®** (lovastatin +
niacin), Caduet®** (atorvastatin + amlodipine), and Vytorin™**
(simvastatin + ezetimibe).