Your high cholesterol and triglyceride levels put you at risk for heart disease. More than 102 million adults in the United States had high cholesterol in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 35 million of those Americans had levels high enough to put them at significant risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Many cannot control their cholesterol through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, and have to rely on medications prescribed by their doctors.
Anatomy
LDL and HDL are types of cholesterol found in the blood. Triglycerides are a type of fat your body uses for energy. LDL is most closely associated with heart disease because it deposits excess cholesterol into the bloodstream, where it builds up and accumulates inside arterial walls. HDL scrapes cholesterol from arterial walls and takes it back to the liver, where it is processed and eliminated from the body with other wastes. Fat cells hold most of the triglycerides in your body, but some triglycerides float through the bloodstream to provide energy to muscles.
Types
The medicines prescribed by your doctor may lower LDL, decrease triglycerides, improve your HDL or a combination of the three. The most common medications for lowering triglycerides are niacin, statins and fibrates. Other drugs include bile acid binding resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors and omega-3 fatty acids. Your doctor may prescribe a single medication or a combination of two or more. Crestor, Lipitor and Zestia are some name brands prescribed to lower triglycerices and balance cholesterol levels.
Statins
Statins are the most commonly prescribed drugs for controlling cholesterol, according to the National Library of Medicine. Your liver produces most of the cholesterol in your body. Statins work by blocking a substance your liver needs to manufacture cholesterol. Your liver needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly, so your liver absorbs cholesterol from the blood to make up for the loss caused by statins. Statins such as Crestor and Lipitor lower LDL and triglycerides and moderately raise HDL.
Niacin
Niacin raises HDL 15 percent to 35 percent, according to MayoClinic.com. Niacin is available by prescription and over the counter. The FDA does not regulate niacin supplements in the same way it oversees the prescription form. Non-prescription niacin contains a varying amount of the medicine, giving you inconsistent and potentially dangerous doses.
Fibrates and Omega-3
Fibrates are not effective at lowering LDL, but do raise HDL and lower triglycerides. Fibrates, such as Lopid and TriCor, may cause nausea, stomach pains and gallstones. Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce triglycerides.
Bile Acid Sequestrants
Your body uses most of the cholesterol in your system to make bile. A small amount of cholesterol enters the bloodstream. Bile acid binding resins, also known as bile acid sequestrants, rid the body of cholesterol by causing it to bind to bile instead of circulating through the bloodstream. These drugs lower LDL but raise triglycerides. Questran and Colestid are name-brand bile acid sequestrants.
Side Effects
Most cholesterol-lowering medications have few side effects, but your doctor may order blood tests to make sure your liver is working well. Statins, fibrates and niacin may cause abdominal cramps or nausea. Side effects of niacin may include flushing of the face or neck.
