So you have eaten your egg whites, substituted a skinless chicken breast for your beloved hot dog with chili, and started a moderate exercise program. You are feeling really good about what you are doing, despite the sacrifice, and are now on your way to your 3 month follow up visit. In fact you might even get a good patient performance discount, or so you hope.
After evaluating your latest blood test your doctor says that you are making some progress, but not enough due to your family history of coronary heart disease and your problematic blood pressure levels. He suggests you add one of a handful of high cholesterol medications to jump start your progress. He goes on to explain that for some improved diet and increased exercise are simply not enough and high cholesterol medications must be prescribed. Your doc goes on to say that while he generally prescribes statins there are other high cholesterol medications such as bile acid sequestrants, niacin, and fabric acid derivative that might be worth considering.
Statins: Statins work by interrupting the production of cholesterol in the body, blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase that is needed by the body to create cholesterol. Less cholesterol in the body encourages the liver to remove LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus lowering the risk of clogged blood vessels and heart disease.
Bile Acid Sequestrants: Bile acid sequestrants are synthetic substances that the work to lower bad cholesterol (LDL). They prevent bile acids from recycling repeatedly through the liver and intestines, by binding to the acids and causing their elimination through solid waste. With fewer bile acids in circulation, the liver is forced to convert cholesterol into bile acids, thereby removing LDL from the blood.
Niacin: Niacin may be the most powerful of all the high cholesterol mediations with the potential to lower cholesterol by as much as 40 to 60 percent. Nevertheless, when dealing with high cholesterol medications there are no free rides. Some forms of niacin must be taken three times a day, and the sustained release form can produce toxic effects on the liver. Niacin is also not suitable for diabetics or those with blood sugar problems due to the possibility of making the body resistant to insulin.
Fabric Acid Derivatives: This type of high cholesterol medications are primarily used to treat those with unusually high levels of triglycerides. They work by reducing the production of triglycerides in the liver or by preventing their synthesis. Fabric acid derivatives come with a long list of side effect risks, and that fact, along with their inability to reduce LDL cholesterol levels has made them not as popular as they once were.
What Next? Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol levels). Certainly the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings. The side effect risk have made natural cholesterol reduction supplements containing such beneficial ingredients as lecithin oil, pumpkin seem oil, D-limonene, phytosterols, and antioxidants such as selenium, theaflavin, and tea catechins an alternative treatment option worth considering.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/the-honest-facts-about-high-cholesterol-medications-1622592.html
experience in the field.
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