It is important to reduce high cholesterol. More than 100 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of them have cholesterol levels high enough to put them at significant risk for heart disease. Your doctor can prescribe medication to lower your cholesterol when diet, exercise and lifestyle changes are not enough.
Niacin
Niacin increases HDL, or good cholesterol, which is beneficial to the heart. HDL scrapes excess cholesterol from the arteries and transports it to the liver, where it is processed and eliminated along with other body wastes. Niacin can raise your HDL by 15 percent to 35 percent, according to MayoClinic.com. Niacin also lowers LDL, or bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. Prescription niacin causes fewer side effects than nonprescription versions.
FDA.gov warns that you should not use niacin if you have liver disease. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take niacin. Talk with your doctor if you are taking aspirin, blood pressure medication or other cholesterol-lowering drugs. People with chronic conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes should talk about the condition with their doctor before taking niacin.
Fibrates
Fibrates are best at lowering triglycerides, according to the American Heart Association. These drugs also increase HDL, but they are not effective at lowering LDL. Doctors prescribe fibrates for people with high triglycerides. Your doctor may combine fibrates and statins for maximum effect.
People with gallbladder disease, kidney problems and liver disease should not take fibrates. Before taking fibrates, be sure to tell your doctor if you are pregnant or taking blood thinners or medications to control diabetes.
Statins
Your liver produces most of the cholesterol in your body. Statins block a substance your liver needs to create cholesterol. This decreases the amount of cholesterol in liver cells and causes the liver to absorb cholesterol from the bloodstream to make up for the deficit. Statins lower LDL and triglycerides and raise HDL levels modestly.
Do not use statins if you have liver disease or are pregnant or nursing. Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications. Do not drink large amounts of grapefruit juice as this reduces the effect of statins.
Selective Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors
Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors are a newer class of medications prescribed for high cholesterol. Most of the cholesterol in your body is used to make bile, which is necessary for digestion. Also called bile acid sequestrants, these medicines bind to bile so it cannot be used for digestion. Your liver responds by creating more bile. Bile production depletes the body of cholesterol.
Patients taking blood thinners or other cholesterol-lowering medication should not take bile acid sequestrants.
