What is colesevelam, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Colesevelam is an oral drug that lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. It also improves control of blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Cholesterol made by the liver or from the food we eat can be converted into bile acids by the liver. The...
What is fenofibrate? Fenofibrate is a derivative of fibric acid that is used to treat lipid disorders. Why is fenofibrate prescribed to patients? Fenofibrate is used with dietary modifications for the treatment of lipid disorders. It helps reduce levels of LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B, and increase HDL-C. It is prescribed to patients...
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...
What is colestipol, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Colestipol is an oral cholesterol-lowering drug that is not absorbed from the intestine into the body. Rather, it works by binding to bile acids in the intestine and promoting the elimination of bile acids in the stool. Bile acids are formed in the liver...
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...
What is alirocumab, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Alirocumab is a man-made injectable drug that reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. It is the first member of a new class of drugs called proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. Cholesterol is carried in the blood to a large extent by...
What is verapamil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Verapamil belongs to a class of medications called calcium channel blockers (CCBs), which includes amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia) as well as others. These medications block the movement of calcium into the muscle cells of the coronary arteries (the arteries supplying...
What is gemfibrozil? Gemfibrozil is a blood lipid and cholesterol-altering medicine. Why is gemfibrozil prescribed to patients? Gemfibrozil is used for reducing elevated triglyceride levels that are high enough to cause pancreatitis. Because gemfibrozil raises HDL and decreases triglycerides it is prescribed for preventing coronary heart disease in individuals without a history or symptoms of...
What is lovastatin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Lovastatin belongs to a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or, more commonly "statins." Other statins include simvastatin (Zocor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Statins reduce cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver (HMG-CoA reductase) that is necessary for...
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)....