Cholesterol is necessary in the body for cells to function properly, and the body even produces some of its own cholesterol. The problem is, when you take in extra cholesterol in the foods you eat, it seriously raises your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol puts you at high risk for developing heart disease, or having a heart attack or stroke. When levels are dangerously high, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol lowering drug.
Statins
The most commonly known type of cholesterol lowering drugs are called statins. Statin drugs block the work of an enzyme in the liver called HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme is in control of the production of cholesterol in the liver. According to the Mayo Clinic, statins block HMG-CoA, which means the liver will produce less cholesterol, and they also work by enabling the body to reabsorb the cholesterol that has already been produced and may be clinging to the walls of your arteries. The most often prescribed statin drugs are Zocor (simvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin) and Mevacor (lovastatin). "Medical News Today" reports that atorvastatin and rosuvastatin are the most powerful statin drugs, while fluvastatin is the least. Other statin drugs are mevastatin, pitavastatin and cerivastatin, although cerivastatin was withdrawn from circulation in 2001, as it was found to lead to kidney failure.
Bile Acid Sequestrants
A bile acid sequestrant attaches itself to bile acids that contain cholesterol in the intestines. They are both then eliminated with the stool. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports that on their own, bile acid sequestrants can reduce cholesterol by up to 20 percent, but if they are prescribed along with a statin drug, cholesterol can be reduced by more than 40 percent. The most prescribed bile acid sequestrant drugs, as listed by the NHLBI, are cholestyramine, colesevelam and colestipol.
Niacin
Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3 or nicotanic acid, and it has a positive effect on lowering cholesterol levels. The Mayo Clinic explains that niacin works by raising the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol by up to 35 percent. When HDL is raised, it grabs on to the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood stream and takes it back to the liver where it is disposed of. The niacin used to treat high cholesterol is not the same as a niacin dietary supplement. While supplemental niacin is beneficial to overall health, when you are prescribed niacin for cholesterol it is in very high doses, and often sold as the brand name Slo-niacin, Niaspan or Niacor.
