Understanding Cholesterol-Lowering Medications (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
Medical Treatment
If an individual has high cholesterol, a doctor will recommend the following lifestyle changes to help the patient lower their cholesterol levels:
- Low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet
- Increased physical activity
- Smoking cessation
- Weight loss
If these lifestyle changes do not lower a person's risk for developing coronary heart disease after about three months, the doctor may consider prescribing a cholesterol-lowering medication. If the patient has heart disease or many risk factors for heart disease, the doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications in addition to lifestyle changes immediately, rather than wait three months for the effect of lifestyle changes alone.
Cholesterol-lowering medications include:
- statins,
- bile acid sequestrants,
- cholesterol absorption inhibitors,
- nicotinic acid agents, and
- fibrates.
If the patient's doctor prescribes one of these medications, he or she must still follow a cholesterol-lowering diet, be more physically active, lose weight if (if the patient is overweight), and control or stop all of the other risk factors for heart disease (including high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking).
Taking all these steps together may lessen the amount of medication an individual needs or make the medication more effective, which reduces the risks associated with high cholesterol.
Next: Statins »
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Cholesterol Lower Medications - Your Experience
Please describe your experience with cholesterol lowering medications.
| Printer-Friendly Format | | | Email to a Friend |
Cholesterol Management
Tips to keep it under control.
From WebMD
Cholesterol Resources
- Cholesterol: Fact vs. Fiction
- Lowering Your Cholesterol: Doing Enough?
- 9 Food Tips to Lower Cholesterol
Featured Centers
- Top 10 Asthma Cities
- Health Check: How to Choose The Right Vitamins
- 10 Triggers for the Holiday Blues
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
High HDL Cholesterol (Hyperalphalipoproteinemia) »
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is positively associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Explore 80+ Centers
- Allergy
- Allergy Medications
- Anaphylaxis
- Antidepressants
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Baby's Health
- Back, Neck, Head Injury
- Bioterrorism, Warfare
- Blood, Lymphatic System
- Bone, Joint, Muscle
- Brain, Nervous System
- Breathing Difficulties
- Burns
- Camping
- Cancer, Tumors
- Children's Health
- Cholesterol
- Cold and Flu
- CPR, Choking
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetic Coma, Insulin Shock
- Digestive System
- Dislocations
- Drowning
- Drug Overdose
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- Emotional Wellness
- Endocrine System
- Environmental Injuries
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Exercise, Nutrition
- Eye, Vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- First Aid, Emergency
- First Aid Kits
- Food Poisoning
- Foreign Bodies
- Fractures, Broken Bones
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Health, Medical
- Heartburn, GERD, Reflux
- Heart, Blood Vessels
- Heart Attack
- Hepatitis
- Immune System
- Incontinence
- Infections
- Kidneys, Urinary System
- Lung, Airway
- Medications
- Men's Health
- Mental Health, Behavior
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nosebleeds
- Osteoporosis
- Outdoor Living
- Overexposure
- Poisoning
- Procedures
- Psoriasis
- Public Health
- Scuba Diving, Swimming
- Seizures
- Senior Health
- Shock
- Skin, Hair, Nails
- Sleep Disorders
- Social, Family Health
- Sports Injury
- Sprains, Strains
- Statins
- STDs
- Substance Abuse
- Teen Health
- Teeth, Mouth, Oral Health
- Weight Management
- Wilderness Emergencies
- Women's Health
- Wounds


