›› Cholesterol Medicine

There are many different drugs on the market today that will help to lower your cholesterol levels. Before you go to your doctor about possibly taking one of these medicines, it is always good to research the different drug options that are available so you are much more aware of the pros and cons of each one.

These drugs are called antihyperlipidemic agents. Hyperlipidemia is a condition people get when they have rising levels of serum cholesterol or triglycerides. These drugs can help to either stop or even reverse atherosclerosis. By doing this, your risk of developing heart disease drops considerably.

Most of the time doctors will prescribe what are called statins to combat cholesterol problems. These drugs include big names like Lipitor, Mevacor, and Zocor. All of these inhibit an enzyme that governs cholesterol production in your body. Besides lowing your "bad cholesterol", these drugs will also make your body produce an increase in HDL, or "good cholesterol."

Some other drugs that will lower cholesterol are nicotinic acid or niacin. This is a form of Vitamin B and help to lower both your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is recommended that you only use this form of medication with the supervision of your doctor because studies show potential side effects can spring up if you do otherwise.

Your doctor will do tests to determine your LDL cholesterol levels after about 4 to 6 weeks after you start taking drugs to lower your cholesterol. They will then test you again after about 3 months. Once your physician sees that your levels are in the normal range, they will then do tests on you about every 4 months until they see that you have totally adjusted to your medication.