Mecholesterol

Cholestrol Medication

In this article we will discuss the different cholestrol medication available for the treatment of high cholestrol levels.

It is important that high cholestrol is treated because it causes many problems including coronary heart disease, thrombosis and strokes. Lowering your cholestrol is especially important if you have other risk factors for heart disease like high bloodpressure.

How cholestrol medication works

cholestrol medication can be split into two main types:

Those medications that reduce the amount of cholestrol produced by the liver
Those medications that reduce the amount of cholestrol which is absorbed into the body from the food that we eat.

Types of cholestrol medication

Niacin

This vitamin, when taken in high doses, reduces bad cholestrol and triglyceride levels while also increasing good cholestrol levels. Niacin, the generic name, is prescribed by your doctor as Nicolar or Niaspan. It can have minor side effects such as skin flushing, itching or tingling, and also headaches. You must tell your doctor if you experience these side effects.

Bile-acid Sequestrants or Resins

These work by binding bile, which is made from cholestrol, in the intestines to stop it being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Common brand names are Questran (generic name cholestyramine), Questran Light, Colestid (generic name Colestipol) and Welchol.

Common side effects of resins are gas, constipation and an upset stomach.

Statins or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

This type of cholestrol medication works by blocking the production of cholestrol in the liver. They have been shown to be very effective in lowering cholestrol and reducing the risk of heart disease. Statins include Atorvastatin (prescribed as Lipitor),Simvastatin (prescribed as Zocor), Fluvastatin (Lescol), Pravastatin (Pravachol), Lovastatin (Mevacor)and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Minor side effects of statins are upset stomach, gas, constipation, abdominal pain and headaches. They have also been known to cause joint and muscle pain in some cases. In very rare cases they have caused damage to the liver.

Fibrates

Fibrates (ciprofibrate, bezafibrate, fenofibrate and gemfibrozil)work by reducing the triglyceride level in the body while increasing the level of HDL or good cholestrol. Fibrates are normally prescribed for people who cannot tolerate statin medications or in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Minor side effects can be an upset stomach, anaemia, possible gallstone production, temporary blurred vision or dizziness and muscle aching. If the patient is on Warfarin the blood thinning effect may be increased.

Zetia (generic name ezetimibe)

This cholestrol medication reduces the amount of cholestrol which is absorbed from food. It is often prescribed along with statin medications to maximise the results. It has been shown to lower total cholestrol and bad LDL cholestrol while increasing the level of good HDL cholestrol.

Its side effects include nausea, fever, muscle pain, upset stomach, joint pain, headaches and possible liver damage.

Your doctor will be able to advise you what cholestrol medication is best for you. Remember that you still need to make changes to your lifestyle and keep up these changes even if you are on medication. It is the combination of lifestyle and medication that have the best effect on lowering cholestrol.

Regular checks

If you are on any type of cholestrol medication, it is vitally important that you have your cholestrol level checked regularly. At these appointments you can also discuss your medication and any side effects you are suffering from.

Low cholestrol Diet

If you have had a blood test which shows that you have a high level of cholestrol, you will need to make changes to your lifestyle. There are two main changes that you can make:-

Exercise regularly – Plan to do aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise really gets your heart and lungs working. Examples of aerobic exercise are jogging, walking, cycling and aerobics. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise regime.
Change your present diet to a healthy, low fat, low cholestrol diet. The benefits of low cholestrol diets are that they not only reduce cholestrol but they also help us to lose weight, have a healthy heart, reduce blood pressure and give us lots more health benefits.

It is important that you make these changes because high cholestrol leads to heart disease.

What is a low cholestrol diet?

To follow a low cholestrol diet you need to:-

Cut down on your intake of saturated fat, such as fast food, fatty meat and full fat dairy products, and trans fat or hydrogenated fat which is found in processed food. Check food labels.
Replace saturated fat with mono unsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. For example replace butter with a polyunsaturated spread.
Grill, microwave, steam or poach foods instead of frying. If you need to fry something then use olive oil which is mono unsaturated or fry with a little water.
Replace some of your usual meat with oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines or trout, which are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, or with soya which is known to reduce cholestrol.
Make eating more fibre part of your plans, especially soluble fibre which is found in oats and fruit and vegetables.
Replace white bread, pasta and rice with wholemeal or wholegrain versions.
perhaps add products that are actually designed to lower your cholestrol to your shopping list. You can buy spreads and drinks containing plant sterols and stanols which prevent the absorption of cholestrol in the body.
Eat 5 a day – eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They are important for their fibre content and some, like carrots, apples and prunes, contain pectin which lowers cholestrol.
Eat plenty of garlic. Garlic has many health benefits including lowering blood pressure and cholestrol. If you do not like the taste, or you are worried about your breath smelling, you can purchase garlic tablets.
Drink wheat grass juice – studies have shown that this super food lowers cholestrol levels.

It is not hard to make these changes and you will easily be able to adapt your favourite recipes to use low cholestrol foods or go and buy some low fat or low cholestrol recipe books. It is worth following a low cholestrol diet as this alone may lower your cholestrol without the need for medication.

WHAT IS LDL CHOLESTROL?

LDL cholestrol is very bad for your health. In lower doses, the liver can get rid of it, but higher doses leave plaque on the inside of arteries, veins and capillaries. This can cause serious heart disease, including heart attacks,

LDL is also known as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL-C. It contains fatty acids that are similar in consistency to wax. LDL works by moving triglycerides and cholesterol to the small intestine from the liver, which is sent to other tissues and cells. However, as LDL can stick to the insides of the blood circulation tubes, it can either inhibit or completely block blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs. In fact, it is not cholesterol that the body can do without, but one that only works well in low amounts.

LDL cholesterol is important for cell synthesis. It helps to feed cells by putting cholesterol into the cells’ plasma membranes. Once used, the cell returns the LDL back to the liver to be discarded. HDL cholesterol aids this process, when high levels are present, by transporting the LDL to the liver. Therefore the only difference between a good and bad LDL level is that higher amounts do cause damage.

The American Heart Association recommends LDL cholesterol levels, preferably at 100 to 129 mg/dL, but keeping these under 200 mg/dL is satisfactory. It has been proven that the lower the levels of LDL are, the lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is measured with a blood test that analyzes the lipid concentrations in the blood. These include LDL concentrations and LDL particle numbers. Even if the concentration is low and the particle numbers are high, the result will still be high, and a high risk of heart disease will still be present.

The best way to reduce the risks and avoid high LDL numbers is to avoid foods with high saturated fats. However, this alone cannot lower cholesterol levels. Exercises like aerobics strengthen the internal circulatory system and heart, making them more able to cope with any excessive toxins in the body. Other important preventative measures include:

No smoking

Reducing bad stress

Drinking plenty of water

Keeping body weight at recommended levels

LDL CHOLESTROL AWARENESS

The general impression, reinforced by the specter of increasing lifestyle induced coronary diseases, is that LDL cholestrol is ‘bad’. To be sure, high levels of LDL cholestrol increases risks of heart diseases, but it must be also recognized that LDL cholestrol plays a vital role in our very survival. Cholestrol is a lipid (or fat) which is required for building cell membranes and for producing certain hormones in the body. The low density and high density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), are carriers which transport the cholestrol through the bloodstream.

LDLs, transporting needed cholesterol to cells as they do, perform a life sustaining role. However, excess levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to their deposition on the walls of arteries. This results in narrowing and hardening of the arteries (a condition known as atherosclerosis) and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is why cholesterol in LDL is referred to as “bad” cholesterol and sustained efforts are made to control excess levels.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has given certain guidelines on the risk associated with different levels of LDL concentrations in the bloodstream. As per these, less than 100 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) i.e. < 100 mg/dL, corresponding to < 2.6 mmol/Lt (millimole per liter) of LDL cholestrol is optimal for reduced heart risk At the other end of the scale, LDL cholestrol > 190 mg/dL (> 4.9 mmol/Lt) corresponds to highest (increased) risk of heart disease.

There are a number of medicines available for lowering cholesterol when lifestyle changes prove inadequate. Some of these are niacin, fibrates, statins etc. Of these, statins have been found to be the most efficacious in lowering LDL cholestrol levels

The preferred way, however, is to lower LDL cholestrol level, without recourse to medication, by undertaking a so called ‘therapeutic‘lifestyle change. This is possible only when there are no physiological causes related to the heart or any underlying diseases requiring the mandatory use of drugs. Even in situations of mandated drug use, lifestyle changes, if implemented, can supplement and enhance the effect of the drugs. The lifestyle changes involve regular exercising (at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercises daily); weight loss; and a diet which includes foods that are low in saturated fats, trans-fats, cholestrol, salt (sodium) and added sugar. A change of recipe involving baked, grilled and boiled food rather than fried and sautéed items is also called for. It is further necessary to avoid smoking and/or more than ‘moderate’ drinking of alcoholic beverages.

Recipes to help lower cholestrol

Making lifestyle changes like losing weight, by eating a healthy low-fat calorie controlled diet, and starting an exercise regime can have a dramatic effect on your cholestrol, lowering it within a few weeks in some cases. Buy books of recipes to help lower cholestrol or use the following cholestrol lowering foods in your recipes to help lower cholestrol:-

Oats – Eat oats as porridge or in homemade muesli with other great sources of fibre like rice bran.
Wholegrains – Find recipes for wholegrain breads and muffins. Wholegrains are great sources of nutrition.
Eat more beans and pulses. Add beans and pulses to recipes like casseroles and curries. Try out bean soup recipes to help lower cholestrol.
Add sources of Omega 3 fatty acids to your recipes – flax seed oil and linseed oil. Add walnuts to yogurts and cereals, they are great for lowering cholestrol. Eat more oily fish like salmon, fresh tuna, sardines and mackerel. Check out the fish section of your recipe books.
Fruit and vegetables. Try vegetarian recipes and fruit desserts to ensure that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Replace your usual meat with vegetables. Cook vegetable casseroles, vegetable moussaka, vegetable curry etc. This will also help you cut down on saturated fat (in meats) and will also boost your intake of cholestrol lowering soluble fibre. Try to eat some fruit peel, don’t peel apples and pears as the peel contains vital fibre. Look for recipes for fruit smoothies, they are a great breakfast idea.
Add garlic to recipes. It is great fried with onions in olive oil in recipes for curry or bolognese. Garlic has been found to help lower cholestrol and to be good for your heart.
Use products containing cholestrol lowering plant sterols in recipes to help lower cholestrol. You can buy spreads, low-fat milks and yogurts which contain these sterols.
Avocados – find a recipe for guacamole. You can also use avocado oil in recipes to help lower cholestrol.
Add spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric and cinnamon to recipes. Research has shown that these may help lower cholestrol levels.
Eat or drink soya products and use them for recipes. Canadian research has shown that eating a vegetarian diet rich in soya can be as good at lowering cholestrol as some medications. Use soya milk instead of your regular milk.
Replace butter in recipes with polyunsaturated spreads and replace lard or oils with olive oil which is a mono unsaturated oil and is actually good for your heart and cholestrol levels.

Think of ways to incorporate the above foods into your everyday meals. If you lack inspiration then treat yourself to a cookbook or two full of recipes to help lower cholestrol.