What is cholestyramine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Cholestyramine is an oral medication that reduces the levels of cholesterol in the blood and improves the itching associated with liver disease. Cholesterol that is ingested or manufactured in the body is eliminated primarily by conversion to bile acids in the liver and excretion …
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What are fibrates? Fibric acid derivatives (fibrates) are a class of medication that lowers blood triglyceride levels. Fibrates lower blood triglyceride levels by reducing the liver‘s production of VLDL (the triglyceride-carrying particle that circulates in the blood) and by speeding up the removal of triglycerides from the blood. Fibrates also are modestly effective in increasing blood HDL cholesterol levels; however, …
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What is rosuvastatin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Rosuvastatin is an oral drug for lowering blood cholesterol levels. It belongs to a class of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, more commonly referred to as "statins." Other drugs in this class include simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and fluvastatin (Lescol). These drugs reduce cholesterol levels …
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What is ezetimibe, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Ezetimibe is an oral drug that is used for the treatment of elevated blood cholesterol. The most commonly used class of drugs for lowering cholesterol levels, the statins, act by preventing the production of cholesterol by the liver. Ezetimibe has a different mechanism of action and lowers blood cholesterol …
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What is Zocor? Zocor is a cholesterol-lowering drug. It belongs to a class of drugs called statins, or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Other statins include: lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Is Zocor available as a generic drug? Yes Do I need a prescription for Zocor? Yes Why is Zocor prescribed to patients? Simvastatin is used for reducing …
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What is Lipitor (atorvastatin)? How does it work (mechanism of action)? Lipitor (atorvastatin) is type of statin that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. All statins, including atorvastatin, prevent the production of cholesterol in the liver by blocking HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that makes cholesterol. Statins reduce total cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol in blood. LDL cholesterol …
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Statins vs. Niacin Statins and niacin (nicotinic acid, or vitamin B3) are medications used to treat high cholesterol. Both medications lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and triglycerides (fats), and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Statins and niacin work by blocking the enzyme in the liver responsible for making cholesterol, and helping the liver remove the cholesterol already circulating in …
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What is cerivastatin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Cerivastatin is a drug that lowers cholesterol in the blood by blocking the enzyme in the liver that is responsible for producing cholesterol. It lowers total cholesterol as well as the LDL subfraction of cholesterol in the blood. LDL cholesterol is believed to be the “bad” cholesterol that is …
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