Cholesterol Medication

Cholesterol Medications

There are several drug therapies that can help you lower your cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels.

Statins are the most common front-line treatment for anyone with an LDL of 100 mg/dl (5.56 mmol/L) or higher. They reduce LDL cholesterol by blocking a key step in the process of manufacturing cholesterol in the liver.

If statins are not producing the necessary results, bile-acid binding resins may be utilized.

Medication to lower their triglycerides is sometimes prescribed. There are several drug choices to lower triglycerides, namely fibric acid derivatives and nicotinic acid.

See the chart below for an overview of cholesterol drugs.

Your doctor can tell you what treatment is right for you. Always consult your medical team before making any changes to your diabetes management.

Types of Medication	Generic Names	Brand Names	What it Does
Statins	Atorvastatin	Lipitor^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides Lowers Total Cholesterol
	Fluvastatin	Lescol ^®
	Lovastatin	Mevacor ^® Altocor ^®
	Pravastatin	Pravachol^®
	Rosuvastatin	Crestor^®
	Simvastatin	Zocor^®
Bile-Acid Binding Resins*	Cholestyramine	Prevalite^® Questran Light^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides
	Colesevelam	Welchol^®
	Colestipol	Colestid^®
Fibric Acid Derivatives	Fenofibrate	TriCor^® Antara^® Triglide^®Fenoglide® Lipofen® TriLipix®	Raises HDL, Lowers Triglycerides
Fibric Acid Derivatives	Gemfibrozil	Lopid^®	Raises HDL, Lowers Triglycerides
Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor	Ezetimibe	Zetia ^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Total Cholesterol, Lowers Triglycerides
Nicotinic Acid	Niacin	Niacor^® Niaspan^®	Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides
Combination Medications	Ezetimibe Simvastin	Vytorin ^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Total Cholesterol, Lowers Triglycerides
	Niacin Lovastatin	Advicor^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides
	Simvastin Niacin	Simcor ^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides
	Amlodipine besylate atorvastatin calcium	Caduet^®	Lowers LDL
	Atorvastatin Simvastatin Fenofibricacid	Trilipix ^TM	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Triglycerides
	Sitagliptin Simvastatin	Juvisync ^®	Raises HDL, Lowers LDL, Lowers Total Cholesterol, Lowers Triglycerides
Prescription Supplements	Omega-3-acid -Ethyl esters	Lovaza^®	Lowers extremely high Triglycerides

*Side effects may include upset stomach and constipation, and may not be appropriate for people with diabetes gastroparesis.

<<PREVIOUS: What is Cholesterol?<<

SOURCES:

American Heart Association. Drug Therapy for Cholesterol. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Drug-Therapy-for-Cholesterol_UCM_305632_Article.jsp. (Accessed 6/26/11).

FDA. High Cholesterol — Medicines to Help You. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/ucm118595.htm. (Accessed 6/26/11).

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Combination Therapy Juvisync. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm274748.htm. (Accessed 10/7/11.)

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08

Last Modified Date: December 7, 2011

All content on dLife.com is created and reviewed in compliance with our editorial policy.

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