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)....
Category: cholesterol
ezetimibe (Zetia) Uses, Side Effects & Dosage
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...
Zocor (simvastatin): Statin Uses, Side Effects & Dosage
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?...
cerivastatin (Baycol): Drug Side Effects and Dosing
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...
Statins vs. Niacin: Cholesterol Drug Facts, Side Effects & Uses
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...
High Cholesterol: Frequently Asked Questions
1) What Is Cholesterol? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body and is made by the liver. Cholesterol also is present in foods we eat. People need cholesterol for the body to function normally. Cholesterol is present in the cell walls...