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Lowering cholesterol reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Statins are the most prescribed drug for people, with heart disease, who need a cholesterol-lowering drug and these drugs are the most effective way to lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

Liptor, Crestor and Zorcor are common brand names for statin drugs. Simvastatin, rosuvastatin, lovastatin and pravastatin drugs are some of the names of statins used in treatment of high cholesterol.

Statins inhibits an enzyme, HMG-CoA reductace. This is the enzyme that controls the rate of cholesterol production.

The major effect of these drugs is to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and to slow down the production of cholesterol that is already in the bloodstream. The drug also increases the liver's ability to remove LDL from the blood.

People with major risks of heart disease may use a statin drug in combination with another drug to achieve the desirable level for all cholesterol levels. For example, nicotinic acid and bile sequestrants are sometimes used in the overall strategy to reduce the bad, LDL cholesterol levels, while improving other cholesterol levels.

Statins and heart disease risk reduction

Statins can lower cholesterol from 20% to 60% with best results seen in the first four weeks of treatment. Treatments that incorporate use of statins in lowering cholesterol also showed a reduction of elevated fats (triglcerides) and a slight increase of the good cholesterol, HDL.

Studies show that a large reduction in LDL cholesterol also showed a significant reduction in of heart disease and heart disease deaths. In a trial involving elderly people, the use of pravastatin reduced coronary heart disease deaths by 24%. No reduction in strokes was observed, but ischemic attacks fell by 25%.

How do we get high levels of cholesterol?

We get high cholesterol from our diets and from our DNA. We can inherit a disorder called familial hypercholesterolemia. The amount of saturated fats we receive in our dietary cholesterol also leads to high LDL cholesterol levels.

The typical American diet includes about 33% of daily calories comes from fat. Fat is a big part of our diet. Saturated fats (from animal products) are the most harmful to our bodies and we consume them at a rate of about 2 to 1 from the healthier fats that come from plant products.

Diet and lifestyle are ours to control. By making a few changes in our diet, we can include more unsaturated fats and reduce the percentage of saturated fats. Diet can improve cholesterol levels and should be continued with statin treatment.

If you care about your heart, think about making some diet changes. Afterward, you can add some physical activity for strengthening the heart.

http://americanheart.org

Learn more about this author, Mona Gallagher.
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