Ezetimibe is among the many cholesterol-lowering medications your doctor may prescribe to reduce your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. A fairly new medication, receiving its approval from the FDA in 2009, ezetimibe is most effective...
The Genetics Home Reference reports that more than 34 million adults in the United States suffer from high cholesterol, which is defined as a blood cholesterol level greater than 240mg/dL. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease...
Zetia (ezetimibe) is a medication prescribed for people with high cholesterol levels. Zetia works in the digestive system to prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food. If your doctor prescribes Zetia, talk with her about any other...
Fat, an essential part of the human diet, is calorie- and energy-rich. Over-consumption of fat, however, can cause weight gain and associated health problems. This makes fat-blocking drugs a desirable target for pharmaceutical manufacturers that...
If your last blood tests revealed less than desirable cholesterol numbers, your health-care provider probably discussed the link between high blood cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease and heart attack. In 2002, Merck and Schering...
High levels of cholesterol in the blood, also known as "hypercholesterolemia," can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. High cholesterol levels occur by eating foods containing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is present in foods...
Zetia is the brand name for the drug ezetimibe. It is the first of a new class of cholesterol-lowering medications. Zetia is not a statin. Statins lower cholesterol by preventing the liver from synthesizing new cholesterol, while Zetia lowers...
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that our bodies need to keep us healthy. Good cholesterol helps keep bad cholesterol from building up in arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol can clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke....
Cholesterol is a fatty material regularly found in greasy foods. Eating fast food meals and frozen TV dinners while not getting enough exercise can quickly lead to cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels. Sometimes, family history predisposes...
When diet and exercise aren't enough to lower your cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe one of many cholesterol-lowering medications. There are several different types available and your doctor can best determine the type to treat your...
Zetia (generic name ezetimibe) is a cholesterol-lowering medication available as a 10-milligram tablet. Zetia is used to treat high cholesterol either on its own or with another medication such as a statin. Zetia inhibits absorption of low-density...
There are seven statin drugs currently approved for use in the United States: Mevacor, Pravachol, Zocor, Lipitor, Lescol, Crestor and Livalo. All of these are available in more than one dose, so the first step is to read the label to see the...
Vytorin, generically sold as ezetimibe and simvastatin, is a medication used to treat high cholesterol. Cholesterol is composed of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (good cholesterol) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (bad cholesterol). According to...
Drugs that lower levels of cholesterol include the statins, fibrates, niacin, ezetimibe and bile acid sequestrants. They act by different mechanisms to reduce cholesterol levels and low density lipoproteins, or LDLs. They are often used in...
Doctors often recommend exercise and diet changes to lower cholesterol. This is in part because medications used to lower cholesterol can have some serious side effects. In most people, changes in lifestyle are enough to help change numbers...
Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. In addition to lifestyle modifications, many patients with high cholesterol require the use of prescription medications. Zetia is a drug that can be used alone or as an adjunct with...
Zetia, or the generic product ezetimibe, is a prescription drug used alone or in combination with other medications to lower cholesterol levels. The medication prevents the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines. It also prevents...
High blood cholesterol is the cause of several health conditions, most notably heart and coronary disease. Although your body needs cholesterol to function properly, too much LDL, or "bad" cholesterol can quickly build up within the arteries,...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in every six adults suffers from high blood cholesterol levels, which remains a significant risk factor for heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Although...
High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease -- the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Approximately 102.2 million people in the U.S. have a total cholesterol level greater than 200 mg/dL, a level...
Vytorin is a combination statin and cholesterol absorption inhibitor, and according to the Mayo Clinic, one of the main ingredients is simvastatin. Taken alone, simvastatin is lipid-lowering agent (Zocor); in the prescription Vytorin simvastatin...
If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, it is important that you educate yourself on the subject in order to take an active part in lowering your cholesterol levels. Many physicians will prescribe both a change in diet and a medication....
Appropriate medications can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with high cholesterol. Uncontrolled, high cholesterol poses a wide range of health risks. These drugs either reduce bad cholesterol or increase good cholesterol....
Total cholesterol levels increase throughout a person's life. The two types of cholesterol are HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and LDL, which is the bad cholesterol. LDL levels also increase with age. There are many classes of medications that...
Vytorin, a cholesterol lowering medication, combines ezetimibe, brand name Zetia, and simvastatin, brand name Zocor into one medication. Cholesterol, an important material in the production of hormones and cell wall membranes, is synthesized in...
Cholesterol levels directly correspond to an increased risk for heart disease. Increased cholesterol levels, especially low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol levels, are associated with atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attacks. Reducing...
The most common causes of high cholesterol include obesity, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and a family history of heart disease. However, heredity can also influence your cholesterol levels. When it does, it's known as familial...
Your doctor may try to control your cholesterol level first with diet and exercise. If that doesn't work, you may need medication to keep cholesterol levels in check. There are many on the market in several different categories sold under a...
Cholesterol is a substance that your liver produces, the American Academy of Family Physicians explains. Your body can utilize cholesterol to protect your nerves and produce cell tissue. The cholesterol produced in your liver is sufficient for...