Best Cholesterol Drugs

What Are The Best Cholesterol Drugs?

Doctors recommend diet and exercise to help a person control his cholesterol levels. If a person follows the advice of a doctor and still has a high cholesterol count, the patient may be prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs. Most cholesterol medication can only be obtained with a prescription. If a patient decides to use niacin to lower his low-density cholesterol count, he should do so only under medical supervision. The supplement's side effects include flushing and upset stomachs. Niacin is also known as nicotinic acid and vitamin B3. It is the best cholesterol drug that a patient can obtain over-the-counter. Statins are the best cholesterol medications for patients are likely to suffer from a heart attack or a stroke. This class of drugs works by preventing the body from producing the enzymes it needs to produce LDL or bad cholesterol.

Statins increase the production of HDL, or good cholesterol, slightly. They are often given to help prevent a first stroke or a heart attack. Zocor, made by Merck, is one of the best known cholesterol lowering drugs in this class The next best cholesterol drug, Ezetimibe, works preventing the small intestine from absorbing as much low density cholesterol. Ezetimibe, which is sold under the prescription label Zetia, lowers a patient's LDL count and raises a patient's HDL count. Zetia is less effective at lowering LDL than statins are. Fibrates are the best cholesterol drugs for patients who have high triglycerides but a low high density cholesterol count. . Fibrates reduce the production of triglycerides in the body.

They also increase the production of good cholesterol. Because it does not affect the amount of bad cholesterol the body produces, fibrates are prescribed less often than statins or Ezetimibe. One of the best cholesterol drugs for patients that do not take vitamin soluble vitams is a bile acid reducer. Bile acid reducers work by lowering a patient's HDL by preventing the liver from making bile acid resins. The liver must take more cholesterol out of the bloodstream to make the bile acid it needs. The side effects make this class of drug less popular than the medications listed above. Always talk with a doctor before deciding what the best cholesterol drug for you is. Follow the instructions of the doctor and the pharmacist carefully.