Cholesterol Medicine Statins the Most Widely Used

Cholesterol medicine is used to lower your bad cholesterol (LDH) which in turn lowers your risk of having heart disease or a stroke. Often a change in diet and exercise, as well as quitting smoking are the first plan of action; if making these changes do not work after about 6 months then it is time to consider medications.

Cholesterol is a fat-like material that your body requires to work normally. Cholesterol is a natural substance that is present in cell walls and membranes in all parts of the body, which includes the brain, muscles, intestines, nerves, skin, liver, and heart. The liver processes the cholesterol output for your body.Cholesterol produces vitamin D, hormones, and the bile acids that digest fat. The cholesterol in your blood is comes from the foods you eat and your liver. Your liver makes enough cholesterol to meet the needs of your body.

There is a class of medication called statins, and they are one of the most effective and widely used medications to treat high cholesterol. Statins reduce the risk for heart attack, stroke, and death in people who have many risk factors for these health threats. Statins lower the amounts of cholesterol that the liver produces. This type of medication is quite effective for many people.

When there is too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, it can cause some major problems, such as the excess might be deposited in arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis (also called hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, blood clots, heart attack, or impotence.

There are also medications that can lower the absorption of cholesterol by the body, and some can affect how your body removes cholesterol. There are a vast amount of medications that can be used for lowering cholesterol. Your doctor will decide which is best for you by looking at your family history, your blood cholesterol levels, and whether diet and exercise as well as other life style changes have not worked.

All medications have the possibility of side effects. Make sure to ask your doctor what the side effects for the medication you are prescribed. These medications have no doubt saved many lives and will continue to do so in the future.

More on High Cholesterol Levels at the Cholesterol Scoop.