Treatments for High Cholesterol
Treatments for High Cholesterol:
Treatment for high cholesterol often begins with preventive efforts that can reduce cholesterol levels. This includes regular exercise, not smoking or drinking excessively, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a heart-healthy well-balanced diet. A heart healthy diet is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains and includes low-fat or no-fat dairy products and moderate quantities of healthy meats. Eating right is an important key to keeping cholesterol levels in check. Although most people view fat as a bad part of their diet, a certain amount of fat intake is necessary for health body functioning. The American Heart Association recommends that you keep your total fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of calories. Most of the fats you use should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are considered the "healthier" fats that can actually help to lower cholesterol levels. They include fats from fish, nuts and vegetable oils, such as salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts and liquid vegetable oils.
It is also recommended that you avoid or minimize intake of foods high in saturated and trans fats. Foods high in trans fats include those made with partially hydrogenated oils such as baked goods, doughnuts, fried foods, shortening and some margarines and dairy products. Foods high in saturated fats include those processed from animals, including beef, beef fat, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, milk, cheeses and other dairy products made from whole and 2 percent milk. Although fruits and vegetables are generally low in cholesterol and saturated fats, some foods from plants do contain significant amounts of saturated fat. These are the "tropical oils", such as coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter.
For people who are unable to lower cholesterol levels to a healthy level through diet, exercise, and addressing unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, treatment of high cholesterol also includes medication. For some people with serious risk factors for heart disease, such as hypertension, obesity, and a strong family history, medication may be recommended in conjunction with lifestyle and diet modification.
The most commonly prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs are the statins. Statins act to prevent formation of cholesterol in the liver, which produces cholesterol within body in addition to the cholesterol that is ingested through food. Statins are extremely effective at lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. They can also lower triglycerides (blood fats) and raise the HDL (good) cholesterol. New research is also finding that statins create an anti-inflammatory effect on the arteries that further lowers the risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Statins have also been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people who do not have high cholesterol but are at risk for cardiovascular disease due to other factors.
Other medications include selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors, which lower cholesterol by preventing its absorption in the intestine from ingested cholesterol-containing foods. Niacin is a medication that works in the liver by affecting the production of blood fats. Other cholesterol lowering drugs include resins, which increase the elimination of LDL cholesterol in the intestines, and fibrates, which lower triglycerides.
The type, dose, and possible combination of medications used to treat cholesterol levels are determined by a health care professional based on each individual's unique cholesterol levels, family history, lifestyle, and other factors.
Treatments for High Cholesterol
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources
for High Cholesterol
includes the following list.
Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment
or change in treatment plans.
High Cholesterol: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for High Cholesterol:
Curable Types of High Cholesterol
Possibly curable types of High Cholesterol may include:
- Nephrotic syndrome induced hypercholesterolemia
- Alcohol induced hypercholesterolemia
- Steroid induced hypercholesterolemia
- Anorexia nervosa induced hypercholesterolemia
- more curable types...»
High Cholesterol: Research Doctors & Specialists
- Cholesterol Specialists:
- Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
- Blood Health Specialists (Hematology):
- more specialists...»
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
Drugs and Medications used to treat High Cholesterol:
Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment
or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of High Cholesterol include:
- Atorvastatin
- Lipitor
- Cerivastatin - has been removed from the market due to risk of fatal muscle damage
- Baycol - has been removed from the market due to risk of fatal muscle damage
- Cholestyramine
- Questran
- Questran light
- Novo-Cholamine
- Novo-Cholamine Light
- Prevalite
- Colesevelam
- Welchol
- Colestipol
- Colestid
- Lestid
- Advicor
- Fluvastatin
- Lescol
- Lescol XL
- Niacin
- Antivert
- Endur-Acin
- Niacels
- Niacin SR
- Niacin TR
- Niacor
- Niacor-B
- Nia-Bid
- Niaplus
- Niaspan
- Nicobid
- Nico-400
- Nicolar
- Nicotinex
- Novo-Niacin
- SK-Niacin
- Slo_niacin
- Span-Niacin-150
- Tega-Span
- Tri-B3
- Pravastatin
- Lin-Pravastatin
- Pravachol
- Simvatatin
- Zocor
- Terazosin
- Apo-Terazosin
- Hytrin
- Novo-Terazosin
- Ezetimibe
- Zetia
- Ezetrol
- Ezetimibe and Simvastatin
- Vytorin
- Fenofibrate
- Lofibra
- TriCor
- Apo-Fenofibrate
- Apo-Feno-Micro
- Gen-Fenofibrate Micro
- Lipidil Micro
- Lipidil Supra
- Novo-Fenofibrate
- Nu-Fenofibrate
- PMS-Fenofibrate Micro
- Controlip
- Lipidil
- Nicotinic Acid
- Vitamin B3
- Dynamo
- NoDoz Plus
- Probucol
- Lurselle
Hospitals & Medical Clinics: High Cholesterol
Research quality ratings and patient incidents/safety measures
for hospitals and medical facilities in specialties related to High Cholesterol:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Treatment Hospital:
More general information, not necessarily in relation to High Cholesterol,
on hospital and medical facility performance and surgical care quality:
Medical news summaries about treatments for High Cholesterol:
The following medical news items
are relevant to treatment of High Cholesterol:
Discussion of treatments for High Cholesterol:
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Although some red meat is high in saturated fat and
cholesterol, which can raise your blood cholesterol, you do not
need to stop eating it or any other single food. Red meat is an
important source of protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.
You should, however, cut back on the amount of saturated fat and
cholesterol that you eat. One way to do this is by choosing lean
cuts of meat with the fat trimmed. Another way is to watch your
portion sizes and eat no more than 6 ounces of meat a day. Six
ounces is about the size of two decks of playing cards. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Fish oils are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are
a type of polyunsaturated fat. Fish oil supplements generally do
not reduce blood cholesterol levels. Also, the effect of the
long-term use of fish oil supplements is not known. However, fish
is a good food choice because it is low in saturated fat. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Eating less fat, especially saturated fat, and
cholesterol can lower your blood cholesterol level. Generally your
blood cholesterol level should begin to drop a few weeks after you
start on a cholesterol-lowering diet. How much your level drops
depends on the amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol you used to
eat, how high your blood cholesterol is, how much weight you lose
if you are overweight, and how your body responds to the changes
you make. Over time, you may reduce your blood cholesterol level
by 10-50 mg/dL or even more. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Saturated fats raise your blood cholesterol level more
than anything else. So, the best way to reduce your
cholesterol level is to cut back on the amount of saturated
fats that you eat. These fats are found in largest amounts in
animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream,
cream, and fatty meats. They are also found in some vegetable
oils--coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Most vegetable oils--canola, corn, olive, safflower,
soybean, and sunflower oils--contain mostly monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats, which help lower blood cholesterol when used
in place of saturated fats. However, a few vegetable oils--
coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils--contain more saturated fat
than unsaturated fat. A special kind of fat, called "trans fat,"
is formed when vegetable oil is hardened to become margarine or
shortening, through a process called "hydrogenation." The
harder the margarine or shortening, the more likely it is to
contain more trans fat. Choose margarine containing liquid
vegetable oil as the first ingredient. Just be sure to limit the
total amount of any fats or oils, since even those that are
unsaturated are rich sources of calories. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI (Excerpt)
Look on the nutrition
label for the amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and
total calories in a serving of the product. Use this information
to compare similar products. Also, look for the list of
ingredients. Here, the ingredient in the greatest amount is first
and the ingredient in the least amount is last. So to choose foods
low in saturated fat or total fat, go easy on products that list
fats or oil first, or that list many fat and oil ingredients. (Source: excerpt from CHECK YOUR CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE I.Q: NHLBI)
Drop-in Article (2001 National Cholesterol Education Month Kit): NHLBI (Excerpt)
ATP III recommends a multifaceted lifestyle approach to reducing
cholesterol. This approach is termed therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC)
and includes the TLC diet, weight management, and physical activity. TLC
is for anyone whose LDL is above their goal level. The TLC diet is a low
saturated fat, low cholesterol eating plan that calls for less than 7% of
calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol
per day. The TLC diet recommends only enough calories to maintain a
desirable weight and to avoid weight gain. Increased amounts of viscous
(soluble) fiber as well as food products containing plant stanols/sterols
(such as cholesterol-lowering margarines) can also be added to the TLC
diet to boost its LDL-lowering power. The other TLC components are weight
management (especially for those who are overweight or obese) and
increased physical activity. (Source: excerpt from Drop-in Article (2001 National Cholesterol Education Month Kit): NHLBI)
Drop-in Article (2001 National Cholesterol Education Month Kit): NHLBI (Excerpt)
While TLC alone may lower the LDL to goal in many persons, others
(especially those with multiple risk factors and those with CHD or a CHD
risk equivalent) may need a combination of TLC and drug therapy to lower
their LDL cholesterol to goal. The choice of drug or drugs used will
depend on the individual's lipid profile. The statins are a frequently
prescribed group of drugs that effectively lower LDL cholesterol and are
safe for most users. In clinical trials, LDL cholesterol lowering with
statins has been shown to decrease the rate of heart attacks and deaths
from CHD by approximately 30%. Statins have been shown to be effective in
persons with or without CHD. Bile acid sequestrants also lower LDL
cholesterol and can be used alone or in combination with statin drugs.
Nicotinic acid (or niacin) lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and
raises HDL cholesterol. Nicotinic acid in doses large enough to lower
cholesterol can cause side effects and should only be used under the
supervision of a physician. Fibric acids are used mainly to treat high
triglycerides and low HDL. Regardless of the type of drug therapy used,
individuals should take an active part in their health care. In order to
maximize cholesterol lowering, TLC should always be maintained when drug
therapy is prescribed. (Source: excerpt from Drop-in Article (2001 National Cholesterol Education Month Kit): NHLBI)
NHLBI Heart Disease & Women Are You At Risk: NHLBI (Excerpt)
If your blood cholesterol levels are too high, your doctor may recommend a
specific treatment program for you. For most people, cutting back on foods high
in saturated fat and cholesterol will lower LDL cholesterol, which is the main
goal of treatment. Regular physical activity and weight loss for overweight
persons also will lower blood cholesterol levels.
Losing extra weight, as well as quitting smoking and becoming more physically
active, also may help boost your HDL cholesterol level.
If your new diet and other lifestyle changes do not lower your blood
cholesterol level enough, your doctor may suggest that you take
cholesterol-lowering medications. If you have other risk factors for heart
disease, you will need to lower your cholesterol more than someone without risk
factors. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI Heart Disease & Women Are You At Risk: NHLBI)
NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI (Excerpt)
A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are things you can
do something about:
Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your
blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but
cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and
cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.
Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also
tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL and
total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your
triglyceride levels.
Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for
heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You
should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
(Source: excerpt from
NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI)
NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI (Excerpt)
The main goal of cholesterol-lowering treatment is to lower your LDL level
enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.
The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be. To find your LDL goal,
see the boxes below for your risk category. There are two main ways to lower
your cholesterol:
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)--includes a cholesterol-lowering diet
(called the TLC diet), physical activity, and weight management. TLC is for
anyone whose LDL is above goal.
Drug Treatment--if cholesterol-lowering drugs are needed, they are used
together with TLC treatment to help lower your LDL.
If you are in...
-
Category I, Highest Risk, your LDL goal is less than 100 mg/dL. If
your LDL is 100 or above, you will need to begin the TLC diet. If your LDL is
130 or higher, you will need to start drug treatment at the same time as the
TLC diet. If your LDL is 100 to 129, you may also need to start drug treatment
together with the TLC diet. Even if your LDL is below 100, you should follow
the TLC diet on your own to keep your LDL as low as possible.
-
Category II, Next Highest Risk, your LDL goal is less than 130
mg/dL. If your LDL is 130 mg/dL or above, you will need to begin treatment
with the TLC diet. If your LDL is 130 mg/dL or more after 3 months on the TLC
diet, you may need drug treatment along with the TLC diet. If your LDL is less
than 130 mg/dL, you will need to follow the heart-healthy diet for all
Americans, which allows a little more saturated fat and cholesterol than the
TLC diet.
-
Category III, Moderate Risk, your LDL goal is less than 130 mg/dL.
If your LDL is 130 mg/dL or above, you will need to begin the TLC diet. If
your LDL is 160 mg/dL or more after you have tried the TLC diet for 3 months,
you may need drug treatment along with the TLC diet. If your LDL is less than
130 mg/dL, you will need to follow the heart-healthy diet for all
Americans.
-
Category IV, Low-to-Moderate Risk, your LDL goal is less than 160
mg/dL. If your LDL is 160 mg/dL or above, you will need to begin the TLC diet.
If your LDL is still 160 mg/dL or more after 3 months on the TLC diet, you may
need drug treatment along with the TLC diet to lower your LDL, especially if
your LDL is 190 mg/dL or more. If your LDL is less than 160 mg/dL, you will
need to follow the heart-healthy diet for all Americans.
To reduce your risk for heart disease or keep it low, it is very important to
control any other risk factors you may have such as high blood pressure and
smoking. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI)
NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI (Excerpt)
TLC is a set of things you can do to help lower your LDL cholesterol. The
main parts of TLC are:
-
The TLC Diet. This is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol
eating plan that calls for less than 7% of calories from saturated fat and
less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. The TLC diet recommends only
enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain. If your
LDL is not lowered enough by reducing your saturated fat and cholesterol
intakes, the amount of soluble fiber in your diet can be increased. Certain
food products that contain plant stanols or plant sterols (for example,
cholesterol-lowering margarines and salad dressings) can also be added to the
TLC diet to boost its LDL-lowering power.
-
Weight Management. Losing weight if you are overweight can
help lower LDL and is especially important for those with a cluster of risk
factors that includes high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and being
overweight with a large waist measurement (more than 40 inches for men and
more than 35 inches for women).
- Physical Activity. Regular physical activity (30 minutes on
most, if not all, days) is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL and
lower LDL and is especially important for those with high triglyceride and/or
low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.
|
Foods low in saturated fat include fat free or 1% dairy products,
lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruits and
vegetables. Look for soft margarines (liquid or tub varieties) that are
low in saturated fat and contain little or no trans fat (another type of
dietary fat that can raise your cholesterol level). Limit foods high in
cholesterol such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat
dairy products.
Good sources of soluble fiber include oats, certain fruits (such as
oranges and pears) and vegetables (such as brussels sprouts and
carrots), and dried peas and
beans. |
Drug Treatment
Even if you begin drug treatment to lower your cholesterol, you will need to
continue your treatment with lifestyle changes. This will keep the dose of
medicine as low as possible, and lower your risk in other ways as well. There
are several types of drugs available for cholesterol lowering including statins,
bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid, and fibric acids. Your doctor can help
decide which type of drug is best for you. The statin drugs are very effective
in lowering LDL levels and are safe for most people. Bile acid sequestrants also
lower LDL and can be used alone or in combination with statin drugs. Nicotinic
acid lowers LDL and triglycerides and raises HDL. Fibric acids lower LDL
somewhat but are used mainly to treat high triglyceride and low HDL levels.
Once your LDL goal has been reached, your doctor may prescribe treatment for
high triglycerides and/or a low HDL level, if present. The treatment includes
losing weight if needed, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and
possibly taking a drug. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know: NHLBI)
High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Reducing your blood cholesterol level can greatly lessen the chances of
developing coronary heart disease. Most people can lower their blood
cholesterol by changing their diet, losing excess weight, and increasing
physical activity. To lower your blood cholesterol through diet, eat fewer
foods high in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol. The total fat in
your diet should average no more than 30 percent of your daily calories.
Cholesterol should be held below 300 milligrams per day. If you follow
these guidelines for about 6 months and your blood cholesterol does not
drop to a goal level set with you by your doctor, you may need to cut back
still more on saturated fat and cholesterol. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC)
High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Choose fish, poultry, and lean cuts of meat and remove the fat and skin
before eating. Eat no more than about 6 ounces per day. Broil, bake,
roast, or poach foods rather than frying them. Cut down on high fat
processed meats including sausage, bacon, and cold cuts such as salami and
bologna. Limit organ meats such as liver, kidney, and brains. Use skim or
low-fat milk and cheeses, and low- or nonfat yogurt. Instead of butter,
use liquid or soft margarine or vegetable oils high in unsaturated fats.
Use all fats and oils sparingly. Eat egg yolks only in moderation. Egg
whites contain no fat or cholesterol and can be eaten often. Eat plenty of
fruits and vegetables (5 a day is recommended), as well as cereals,
breads, rice, and pasta made from enriched or whole grains (such as rye
bread or whole wheat spaghetti). Many packaged and processed foods are
high in saturated fats. Get in the habit of reading food labels. Look for
the "Nutrition Facts" on the label and choose products that are lowest in
fat. Also read product labels for cholesterol content. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC)
High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Regular physical activity can help improve your cholesterol profile.
Even low to moderately intensive activity, if done daily, can provide
benefits. Examples of such activity are pleasure walking, gardening, yard
work, moderate-to-heavy housework, dancing, and home exercise. More
vigorous exercise can raise HDL cholesterol levels (the so-called "good"
cholesterol) and will improve the overall fitness of your heart. This kind
of activity is called "aerobic" and includes jogging, swimming, jumping
rope, or brisk walking or bicycling. Regardless of the type of activity
you choose, be sure to build up your activity level gradually over a
period of several weeks. Also, check with your doctor first if you have
any health problems, of if you are over 50 and are not used to energetic
activity and plan a fairly strenuous program. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Cholesterol: NWHIC)
Buy Products Related to Treatments for High Cholesterol
Learn the basics of high cholesterol, and it's consequences on the cardiovascular system.
Elevated blood lipids, including cholesterol, are frequently seen in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy. Listen as experts describe the problem,...
Elevated cholesterol can occur as a side effect from HIV treatments. Hear how one person with HIV steps up to the challenge of getting his...
For the 8 million Americans considered morbidly obese, health problems are virtually inevitable. But new procedures are helping people take the...
See full list of 34 related videos
» Next page: Alternative Treatments for High Cholesterol
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
