Cholesterol Levels Slideshow Pictures Lower Cholesterol Slideshow: Avoid Heart Disease Take the Cholesterol Quiz

Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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When would a doctor prescribe a medication to lower cholesterol?

The main goal of a treatment program is to lower total cholesterol levels, LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Treatment may cause a slight rise in HDL or good cholesterol in the blood. There are two main ways to control cholesterol;

1. lifestyle changes, and
   
   
2. medication.

Medications may be prescribed by a health care practitioner if attempts at lifestyle changes fail to make a difference in cholesterol levels (usual goal is to be under 200 mg dL). A variety of medication options are available and the decision as to which medication to use depends upon the individual situation and other medical conditions that might be present. Usually, the health care practitioner and patient will discuss options and decide together upon the treatment options. There are many treatment options such as statins, niacin, and fibric acid agents.