If you have high cholesterol levels and have unsuccessfully tried to lower your numbers through diet and lifestyle changes, your doctor may recommend cholesterol-lowering drugs to aid your efforts. A number of different cholesterol-lowering drugs are available, so it is up to you and your doctor to determine which drug or combination of drugs is best for you.
HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors
The most frequently prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs are HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, more commonly referred to as statins. Your body relies on an enzyme called HMG CoA reductase to produce the reaction that allows your liver to synthesize cholesterol. HMG CoA reductase inhibitors work by inhibiting the action of HMG CoA reductase and preventing your liver from making cholesterol. HMG CoA reductase inhibitors are most effective at lowering your LDL cholesterol levels, although they slightly lower your triglyceride levels and increase your HDL cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors
Approximately 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body comes from the food you eat. Cholesterol moves through your digestive system until it reaches your small intestine, where it is able to enter your bloodstream. Cholesterol absorption inhibitors work by reducing the amount of cholesterol your small intestine absorbs. Instead of entering your blood, cholesterol is eliminated from your body. As with HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, cholesterol absorption inhibitors have the most significant effect on LDL levels, although they can lower triglycerides and raise HDL levels as well.
Resins
Your body uses cholesterol to make bile, which is a digestive fluid that helps break down fats in your digestive system. Resins, also called bile acid sequestrants, work by binding to bile, preventing your body from using it during digestion. This prompts your liver to use the cholesterol in your blood to make more bile, lowering your cholesterol levels in the process. The more bile your liver makes, the lower your cholesterol levels become. Resins affect your LDL levels only.
Nicotinic Acid
Nicotinic acid is a prescription form of the B vitamin niacin that helps lower your LDL levels, as well as raise your HDL levels and lower your triglyceride levels. Nicotinic acid helps slow down your liver's production of LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the amount of cholesterol in your blood. According to the American Heart Association, nicotinic acid is generally given to patients who have triglyceride levels that exceed 250 mg/dL in addition to high cholesterol levels.
