Elevated cholesterol is a serious threat to humans. It freely moves through the blood and can settle on the vessels, forming accumulations of fat-like substances. They, as a rule, threaten to narrow the lumen of the blood capillaries and the occurrence of such dangerous ailments as heart attack and stroke.
In elderly patients, people with vascular aneurysm, as well as in patients who have had a heart attack or stroke, narrowing of the capillaries can cause serious damage to health and provoke the appearance of other pathological processes in the heart and blood vessels. To reduce this probability, you should resort to medications. What are the best drugs to lower blood cholesterol ?
Medications should be recommended only by an experienced medical professional. Their uncontrolled use and neglect of prohibitions can lead to undesirable results and significantly impair the patient's health. But we must not forget that a person must review his diet, make some adjustments to his lifestyle.
How to lower high cholesterol?
To lower the concentration of cholesterol in the blood, first of all, a person should give up many harmful products. Maintaining the tone of the capillaries is also very important, so you can not forget about the benefits of sports and walks in the fresh air.
The duration of conservative treatment for high cholesterol is quite long, and the patient should be prepared for this. In this case, a person must comply with all the doctor's prescriptions and instructions for use in order to achieve a normal state.
So, to reduce high cholesterol in the blood you need:
- quit smoking and alcoholic beverages;
- use salt less in food;
- reduce fatty foods intake;
- use natural fats when cooking;
- enrich the diet with foods that are enriched in fiber;
- take enough fluids.
The list of prohibited products includes:
Most of the cholesterol accumulates in the liver, and only 20% penetrates the body with food. A balanced diet can normalize and greatly reduce the content of this substance in the blood.
Features of therapy, which every person must be guided by, are:
- getting rid of excess weight;
- performing physical exercises;
- control calories consumed per day;
- quitting alcohol and smoking;
- avoidance of stress and psychoemotional shocks.
To reduce cholesterol in the blood and prevent the deposition of harmful substances on the walls of blood vessels, you can use special natural preparations and nutritional supplements. So, due to the sufficient intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into the body, the likelihood of thrombosis in the capillaries is reduced.
In rare cases, adjusting the treatment regimen does not help eliminate high cholesterol. Thus, it remains to resort to taking certain medications that can only be prescribed by a doctor. What are the best drugs to lower blood cholesterol?
Classification
To reduce cholesterol in the patient’s blood, as a rule, tablets are prescribed by a medical specialist. They are divided into five groups:
- Statins are prescribed by doctors in situations where cholesterol levels are too high and need to be lowered immediately. These are quite effective drugs, the positive effect of which can be seen already fourteen days after the start of the course of therapy. This group can be consumed for a long time. What cholesterol lowering drugs still exist?
- Fibrates are aimed at increasing the amount of "good" cholesterol in the body. By using them, the risk of negative effects on the heart and blood vessels is significantly reduced.
- An absorption inhibitor does not allow cholesterol to be absorbed in the intestine, but the substance does not enter the bloodstream. The medicine is most suitable for people who have an increased sensitivity to statins.
- Niacin has a complex effect on the human body. Such drugs remove excess cholesterol, while increasing the level of "useful", as well as normalize blood circulation. You can notice the positive dynamics from therapy after a few days.
- Nutritional supplements are widely used in the fight against high cholesterol. They have absolutely no prohibitions, reducing the high rates of harmful polycyclic lipophilic alcohol. What pills to lower blood cholesterol exist? Find out below.
All of the above groups of medicines from cholesterol differ from each other in composition and principle of action on the body. Each of these groups has its positive and negative sides and side effects that you need to know about.
Rating of the best modern medicines to lower cholesterol
A drug that lowers blood cholesterol should have increased effectiveness, availability and safety, and also be easy to use. If the drug has all of the above requirements, then there is a reason to consider it interesting and useful for a person. The top 5 best drugs include:
- "Simvastatin".
- Atorvastatin.
- Ezetrol.
- "Novostat".
- Lipantil.
The first place is rightfully owned by Simvastatin. Patients in their reviews confirm that the drug is highly effective in lowering cholesterol, a minimum of contraindications and a low price (from 90 to 250 rubles).
The second place is occupied by Atorvastatin. The drug has the ability to reduce high cholesterol, but the drug shows the effect after two weeks of continuous use of the drug, which persists throughout the course of therapy. Atorvastatin is slightly more expensive than Simvastatin, its cost varies from 100 to 400 rubles.
Ezetrol is in third place. The price of Ezeterol somewhat upsets consumers (about 2,000 rubles), but its positive effect overshadows the negative point.
In fourth place is Novostat.
Fifth place is occupied by Lipantil.
Lipid-lowering drugs
Before deciding whether to use statins or not, you need to understand what these medicines are. These are chemical trace elements that suppress the natural production of enzymes involved in the combination of natural polycyclic lipophilic alcohol.
According to the instructions, the therapeutic effect of statins is achieved by:
- Lowering cholesterol due to inhibition of reductase and blocking the production of this component by liver cells.
- Reducing the concentration of natural fatty alcohol in the blood in people with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, which is not eliminated with the use of drugs that suppress the production of lipids.
- Reducing the likelihood of ischemia in the capillaries by 15-20%.
Statins can also provoke various negative reactions in the form of:
- Trouble sleeping.
- Asthenia (a gradually developing psychopathological disease).
- Cephalgia (a headache that is triggered by cardiac ischemia).
- Abdominal pain (pain in the abdomen).
- Flatulence.
- Muscle pain.
- Memory disorders (reduction or complete loss of storage and reproduction of information).
- Vertigo (dizziness, which is characterized by brain damage).
- Hypesthesia (a disease that is associated with a loss of sensitivity in humans).
- Paresthesia (a disease characterized by a sharp sensation of crawling).
- Manifestations of peripheral nerve damage.
- Vomiting.
- Violations of the stool.
- The development of hepatitis (acute viral liver disease that causes damage to organ cells).
- Anorexia nervosa (a nervous and mental disorder manifested by an obsessive desire for weight loss and fear of obesity).
- Unpleasant manifestations of many diseases or severe overstrain of the back muscles for other reasons.
- Muscle cramps.
- Joint arthritis (a disease that can be caused by infections, an autoimmune reaction of the body, injuries, changes in the structure of joint tissues, excessive physical exertion).
- Skin allergic reactions.
- Nettle fever (a skin disease that is characterized by the instant onset of itchy blisters).
- Anaphylaxis (immediate type allergy, a state of sharply increased body sensitivity).
- Hypoglycemia (lowering blood sugar below the standard).
In the representatives of the male half, the use of statins can provoke impotence (violation of sexual functions, weakening or lack of erection).
Despite the assurances of advertising and manufacturers, the complete harmlessness of such medicines for people today is considered unproven. If we talk about the relationship between the benefits and harms of this group of drugs, some scientists emphasize that the likelihood of negative reactions is much higher than the positive effect of their use, especially if it occurs in the prevention of heart and vascular diseases with hypercholesterolemia (failure in lipid metabolism) .
But for certain categories of people, this group of medicines is extremely important. Statins of the latest generation are prescribed for mandatory use for:
- Eliminate the recurrence of a heart attack or stroke.
- The recovery process after surgery on the heart or large blood capillaries.
- Acceleration of the healing process in coronary disease.
These medications are also needed for coronary heart disease with an increased likelihood of a focus of ischemic necrosis or acute disturbance of blood microcirculation in the brain. Categorically it is not recommended to use statins for patients:
- With a reduced risk of complications of hypercholesterolemia.
- People with diabetes.
- Women not on the eve of menopause.
When using statins, it is necessary to consider their compatibility with other medicines.
Prescribing statins to people of retirement age
When studying the effects of this group of drugs on the body of people over 65 years of age, muscle pain appeared in 30% of cases. Patients complain of fatigue, lethargy, as well as a decrease in muscle tone. Pain in the area of skeletal muscle appeared, as a rule, in people who had just begun to take the medicine.
Based on the foregoing, many patients who suffer from a malfunction in lipid metabolism experience a decrease in mental or physical activity by forty minutes a week. Because of myalgia, people lose interest in sports and even hiking. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.
List of drugs to lower cholesterol
The opinion of medical specialists that it is necessary to get rid of cholesterol, since it clogs the capillaries and is the culprit of a heart attack, is somewhat debatable. Useful cholesterol is necessary for every cell in our body, and when it is deficient, cell membranes are affected. Disturb the natural functioning of the body is fraught with health. Wanting to lower cholesterol can cause even bigger problems.
The following effective statins for lowering cholesterol can be purchased at drugstores:
- "Rosuvastatin."
- Atorvastatin.
- "Simvastatin".
- Fluvastatin
A complete list of drugs to lower blood cholesterol:
- Liprimar.
- "Rosuvastatin."
- Rosucard.
- "Rosulip."
- Simvakard.
- "Simvastatin".
- "Novostat".
- "Simvastol".
- Simgal.
- Simlo.
- "Holetar."
- Cardiostatin.
- Leskol Forte.
Novostat
Tablets for lowering cholesterol are statins of the third generation. In medicines of this type, atorvastatin is considered an active ingredient.
Tablets to reduce cholesterol are prescribed only after all methods of weight loss have been tried. They are also prescribed for patients with severe diseases of the heart and blood vessels who need to lower cholesterol.
"Novostat" is a modern lipid-lowering medication that differs from its predecessors in that it reduces the level of only negative cholesterol.
"Simvastatin"
The drug is recommended for use by patients to lower high blood cholesterol.
At the beginning of treatment with Simvastatin, it is advisable to monitor the level of liver enzymes in the patient every six weeks. If the research results remain negative for a long time, then the use of the medication is stopped. "Simvastatin" is the name of a drug for lowering blood cholesterol.
The drug is prescribed with extreme caution to people with chronic kidney diseases. In a situation of risk of renal failure in a patient, drug therapy is not carried out.
People who have diseases of the endocrine system, in particular lowering its functions, need to treat the underlying disease before using the drug.
If a person has ailments or functional liver lesions in the medical history, then you need to consult a medical specialist and pass certain tests before the course of therapy. The same goes for people with alcohol addiction.
Before treatment with Simvastatin, the patient must follow a special diet low in fat. During the use of the drug, people should not often consume grapefruit juice and citrus fruits, as this can lead to an increase in the likelihood of side effects.
There is no information regarding the effect of the drug on the ability to drive a car or work with heavy equipment, therefore it is recommended that you refuse to drive while using Simvastatin therapy. The cost of the drug varies from 70 to 250 rubles.
Fibrates
Medicines that are derivatives of fibroic acid. Like statins, they are successfully used to fight cholesterol. Combined with bile acid, these trace elements significantly inhibit the process of connecting cholesterol to liver cells.
"Tricor" helps to reduce the amount of lipids, which leads to a decrease in cholesterol. As a rule, they reduce the development of extravascular manifestations of hypercholesterolemia.
List of pills for lowering blood cholesterol (group of fibrates):
- "Taykolor".
- Lipantil.
- Exlip.
But deciding on the purchase of a certain drug should be in that situation if the ratio of benefits and harm to health has been determined. Such drugs can provoke a number of adverse reactions, the most common are the following:
- Belching (exit of gases or food from the stomach and intestines from the esophagus).
- Heartburn (discomfort behind the sternum, which spreads to the top of the epigastric region, sometimes gives to the neck).
- Bloating (abundant secretion of a large amount of digestive gas is possible).
- Diarrhea (a pathology in which a person has an increased bowel movement, while the stool becomes liquid).
- Vomiting (reflex eruption of the contents of the stomach through the oral cavity).
- Nausea (painful sensation in the epigastric region, chest, oral cavity and pharynx, often preceded by vomiting).
- The development of hepatitis (a diffuse inflammatory process in the liver tissue as a result of a toxic, infectious or autoimmune process).
- The appearance of stones, dense formations that are found in the abdominal organs and excretory ducts of human glands in the gallbladder or its ducts).
- Muscle pain (a symptom accompanied by muscle pain that occurs both spontaneously and during palpation).
- Muscle cramps (involuntary convulsive contraction of a muscle or muscle group).
- Cephalgia (severe prolonged and periodic headaches).
- Disorders in the functioning of the reproductive system.
- Pulmonary embolism (blockage of the pulmonary artery or its branches with blood clots, which form more often in the large veins of the lower extremities or pelvis).
- Thrombophlebitis (a disease that is characterized by inflammation of the vein wall in the presence of a blood clot in its lumen).
- Skin rashes.
- Itching on the body.
- Photophobia (painful sensitivity of the eye to sunlight, in which its penetration provokes unpleasant sensations in the visual organ).
Lipantil
It is a lipid-lowering agent from the group of derivatives of fibroic acid. Lowers triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood. Helps reduce lipoprotein concentrations.
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The drug is included in the group of lipid-lowering drugs. This medicine is intended for oral use. After the use of Ezetrol, the main substance is rapidly absorbed in the liver and small intestine.
In addition, the drug, unlike Orsoten and other analogues, rarely leads to diarrhea. The maximum allowable daily dosage of the drug is ten grams.
Niacin
In addition to lowering high cholesterol, drugs in this group help:
- Improve blood microcirculation.
- To establish a metabolism.
- Prevent vitamin deficiency.
- Remove toxins from the body.
According to reviews, drugs to lower blood cholesterol can be taken both independently and as part of a combination treatment. As a rule, with elevated cholesterol, it is recommended to use nicotinic acid.
Nutritional supplements
After visiting a medical institution, a person can independently try to reduce cholesterol with vitamins and other beneficial supplements.
But, as a rule, biologically active additives are not suitable for eliminating a malfunction in lipid metabolism, since the drugs are able to have a slight effect on the body. If you need to prevent heart and vascular diseases, it is better to resort to the use of statins.
List of supplements that can be taken with cholesterol:
- Medicines containing omega fatty acids that eliminate heart and vascular disease and reduce the likelihood of depression. Use of such medications is necessary with caution, since they increase the likelihood of chronic pancreatitis.
- Thioctic acid has a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism. Its use helps to improve trophic neurons and increase the level of hepatic glycogens.
- "Tykveol" - a preparation based on pumpkin seed oil. The substance is especially useful for atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels, as well as for inflammation of the gallbladder. The medication has choleretic, anti-inflammatory, as well as antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.
- Vitamin compounds are essential for high cholesterol. This is not only about drugs, in order to normalize lipid metabolism, foods that contain nicotinic acid and B vitamins should be eaten.
- Polycosanol helps prevent capillary atherosclerosis and lower low-density cholesterol.
Artichoke preparations for lowering cholesterol:
- Hofitol.
- "Absolute cholesterol."
- Cholesterol.
- "Cholestenol."
- Sitrinol.
- "Lipotab Hamdard".
Conclusion
Medicines that lower cholesterol have a lot of negative sides, as they can cause side effects. For this reason, the reviews of doctors vary somewhat. Do I need to drink pills to lower blood cholesterol?
To use drugs or it is better to refuse them to the patient - the attending doctor decides. Self-medication is not recommended - this can lead to side effects and a deterioration in overall well-being. In this situation, it is best to trust a medical professional. When choosing a suitable medication, the doctor will take into account all the possible risks and the presence of chronic human diseases.
Neither statins, nor any other similar drugs can be used by persons under the age of thirty-five. Since women are more prone to heart and vascular disease, they are better off refraining from cholesterol-lowering drugs. To eliminate the problem, you need to make certain adjustments to the diet and change the lifestyle.
But often situations arise when the use of the drug is extremely important for the normalization of the patient's condition. In such cases, the decision rests with the doctor.