High serum total and LDL cholesterol levels are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They can increase risk of complications and mortality in patents with heart disease. The American Heart Association says doctors can use drug therapy in patients who need treatment to reduce elevated cholesterol beyond diet, exercise and weight loss. Although statins are effective drugs to lower cholesterol, there are alternatives that can also reduce it.
Bile Acid Sequestrants
Bile aid sequestrants, such as cholestyramine, colestipol and colesevelam, lower cholesterol by binding with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines and excreting it through the stool, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These drugs reduce LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, by 10 to 20 percent. Cholestyramine, colestipol and colesevelam come as powders or tablets you must mix or take with fruit juice or water once or twice daily with meals. The drugs are not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. They have been in use for more than 30 years and doctors consider them safe for long-term use. Side effects include bloating, nausea, gas and constipation. Research by A. Corsini, published in "European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation" in 2009, discovered that colesevelam lowers LDL cholesterol by 15 to 19 percent alone.
Niacin
Niacin is a B-vitamin that can lower the bad LDL cholesterol and increase the good HDL cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Niacin can help to control cholesterol levels alone or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering drugs. Niacin can increase HDL cholesterol by 15 to 35 percent. Achieving HDL cholesterol levels above 60 mg per dL can help to lower and dispose of LDL cholesterol levels. Research by K. Alrasadi, published in the "American Journal of Cardiology" in 2008, demonstrated that niacin is a superior drug to atorvastatin and fenfibrate in increasing HDL cholesterol as an aggressive strategy to lower LDL cholesterol. Niacin is available in many foods such as green leaf vegetables, fruits, nuts and eggs, but you can also obtain it in a multivitamin supplement. Doses at or above 1,000 mg of niacin can cause temporary flushing or redness of the skin. Other side effects include headache, dizziness, increased blood sugar, upset stomach and liver damage.
Plant Food Diet
Research by D.J. Jenkins, published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2003, compared the effectiveness of lowering cholesterol between a control group, whose diet was very low in saturated fat based on milled whole-wheat cereals and low-fat dairy foods, a statin drug group that had the same diet and lovastatin, and a dietary portfolio group whose diet was high in plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers and almonds. The research demonstrated that both the statin drug and dietary portfolio groups achieved comparable results in lowering cholesterol by 31 and 29 percent, respectively, compared to the control group that lowered cholesterol by only 8 percent. The results conclude that a plant food-based diet is effective in lowering cholesterol.
References
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Bile Acid Sequestrants
- "European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation"; Colesevelam Hydrochloride: Bile Acid Sequestrant for Lowering LDL-Cholesterol; Corsini, A.; Feb 2009
- Mayo Clinic: High Cholesterol
- "American Journal of Cardiology"; Comparison of Treatment of Severe HDL Cholesterol Deficiency with Daily Atorvastatin Versus Fenofibrate Versus Niacin; Alrasadi, K.; Nov 15 2008
- "JAMA"; Effects of a Dietary Portfolio of Cholesterol-Lowering Foods Vs Lovastatin on Serum Lipids and C-Reactive Protein; Jenkins, D.J., C.W. Kendall, et al.; Jul 23 2003
