Medicines and Treatments for High Cholesterol

If your doctor has found that you have high cholesterol, you will likely be advised to follow a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet. You will also be told to exercise more and maintain a healthy body weight.

Many doctors will encourage you to try these diet and lifestyle changes first because they have been proven most effective in controlling cholesterol and because cholesterol-lowering medications are strong drugs that may have side effects.

If after a number of months these diet and lifestyle changes have not lowered your cholesterol sufficiently, though, your doctor may suggest more aggressive treatment, which may include cholesterol-lowering medication.

If you have been advised by your doctor to take cholesterol-lowering medication, you will certainly want to understand your medication and the other cholesterol mediation choices available to you. This will allow you to make better informed choices about your treatment.

Some doctors may prescribe drugs meant to offset or treat heart disease as well as lower cholesterol. Some doctors, for example, may suggest that patients take obesity medications instead of cholesterol-lowering medications because obesity may be perceived to be responsible for higher cholesterol. In many cases, if any underlying condition may be causing the elevated cholesterol, that condition may be treated to improve cholesterol levels as well as overall health.

It is important to remember that cholesterol-lowering medications are not a complete solution in themselves. Even if you are taking doctor-prescribed cholesterol medication, you will still need to:

•Control conditions such as diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, and other health aspects that may affect your cholesterol and heart health

•Follow a diet that is healthy, low in salt and saturated fats, and low in food cholesterol

•Follow a good exercise regimen

•Lose weight if you are not at your ideal weight

These heart-healthy choices may reduce or eliminate your need of cholesterol-lowering medications. Eve if they do not, by following these simple steps you will help your medication work more effectively, ensuring that your cholesterol is under control more quickly and effectively. Cholesterol medication alone does not usually work to reduce bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Your best plan for that is to follow a lifestyle that is healthy.