HDL, also called high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol, picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and transports it to your liver to be broken down, according to MayoClinic.com. The desirable amount of HDL for adults is 60 mg per dL. The higher your blood HDL levels, the lower your risk for coronary heart disease. HDL can increase with diet or from taking certain drugs.
Rosuvastatin
Numerous large-scale studies reveal that statin drugs have HDL cholesterol elevating effects, according to research by Shizuya Yamashita published in the "Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis" in 2010. Rosuvastatin is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Crestor, a prescription medication that is indicated as an adjunctive therapy to diet to reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and to increase HDL cholesterol in adult patients with high levels of cholesterol and fat in the blood, according to the product label prescribing information. Crestor is available in 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg tablets, with starting dosage at 10 mg to 20 mg per day. In a dose ranging study, Crestor increased HDL cholesterol by 13 percent with 5 mg of rosuvastatin, 14 percent with 10 mg, 8 percent with 20 mg and 10 percent with 40 mg. In a randomized multicenter double-blind crossover study, Crestor increased HDL cholesterol by a median of 10.2 percent with a range between 1.9 and 12.3 percent with 10 mg of rosuvastatin and a median of 11.2 percent with a range between 8.3 and 20.5 percent with 20 mg of rosuvastatin.
Gemfibrozil
Gemfibrozil is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Lopid, a prescription drug in a class of medications called fibrates, according to MayoClinic.com. Lopid is used to treat blood cholesterol and triglycerides along with diet, according to Drugs.com. Lopid reduces production of cholesterol in the liver, decreasing blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing blood levels of HDL cholesterol. Lopid is administered in two doses of 600 mg each, 30 minutes before your morning and evening meals.
Niaspan
Niaspan is a prescription drug that contains extended release niacin and is indicated to reduce elevated total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase HDL cholesterol in patients with high blood levels of cholesterol and fat, according to the product label prescribing information. The initial recommended dosage for Niaspan is 500 mg taken once per day at bedtime with a low fat snack. Dosage can be increased by 500 mg every four weeks, with maximum dosage at 2 g per day. Approximately two thirds of patients taking Niaspan experience flushing, a side effect where your face turns red. In placebo controlled clinical studies on patients with high blood levels of cholesterol and fats, Niaspan increased HDL cholesterol levels by 18 percent with 1,000 mg of niacin, 20 percent with 1,500 mg and 22 percent with 2,000 mg.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Hdl Cholesterol: How to Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol
- "Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis"; Molecular Mechanisms of HDL-Cholesterol Elevation by Statins; Yamashita, S.; 2010
- AstraZeneca: Crestor Prescribing Information
- Drugs.com: Lopid
- Abbott Laboratories: Niaspan Prescribing Information
