Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Despite the bad publicity that cholesterol gets, it is a vital part of the body and acts as a structural component of the cell membranes. We create cholesterol for this purpose in the liver. Any excess cholesterol that we need will be taken from a diet that includes animal products like milk, butter, cheese, bacon and other meat. When people eat too much of these types of products and foods high in saturated and trans fats their cholesterol level will rise. When the general cholesterol level in the body gets above 200mg/dl then you are said to have high cholesterol. You will be advised to lower your cholesterol level by changing your diet and taking on exercise. Generally you will be prescribed cholesterol reducing drugs if the diet and exercise have not succeeded in lowering the level. This article will explain how cholesterol drugs work and some of the common generic brands that are available. It will also discuss lowering cholesterol without drugs.

The general class of drugs that reduce cholesterol in the body are called Statins. Statins work to increase the number of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors in the liver. LDLs are protein molecules that cholestrol is attached to in the bloodstream. By attaching to LDLs, cholesterol can be transported throughout the body for use in the cells and various other functions. If there is too much LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream it tends to form a plague on the artery walls that leads to atherosclerosis.

LDL receptors act to clear any excess LDL cholesterol up in the bloodstream and thus reduce the chance of plague build up, thickening of the arteries and other cardiovascular diseases.

Atorvastatin is probably the best cholesterol drug in terms of sales. It goes by the brand name lipitor. It has proved popular because it is synthetically created and thus is easy to produce in large quantities.

Statins are good for reducing the level of LDL cholesterol (sometimes referred to as bad cholesterol because it leads to artery thickening) but is not as good at reducing triglycerides and HDL cholestrol (referred to as good cholesterol because it moves excess cholesterol back to the liver where it is excreted).

Niacin or vitamin b3 is good for raising the level of HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. This will help to reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. Plant sterols are another naturally occurring chemical in vegetables. Plant sterol work by blocking the absorption of cholesterols through the intestine and thus reducing the amount of cholesterol that ever enters the bloodstream.

The first step to any cholesterol lowering treatment however is diet and exercise. Reduce the level of animal fats and increase the level of moderate exercise. Give up smoking as this can also make your cholesterol higher.

Find out how to start reducing cholesterol by eating a low cholesterol diet at http://www.lowcholesteroldieting.com . Adrian Whittle writes on issues related to reducing cholesterol and how to monitor cholesterol levels.

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