MEDICATIONS FOR CONTROLLING CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES: HMG-CoA REDUCTASE INHIBITORS
I won’t trouble you with the full spelling of this one. Suffice it say that drugs in this category decrease synthesis of cholesterol the liver by partially inhibiting an enzyme necessary for its production The first drug to receive FDA approval in this category was lovastatin More than one million patients in America now take the drug I daily doses of 20 mg, 40 mg or more depending on the severity cholesterol elevation.
The second drug in this category was approved by the American FDA in 1991, although it had been used elsewhere in the world for a couple of years before that. Pravastatin is prescribed to be taken as one 40 mg tablet at bedtime. This once-a-day dosing is the principle advantage the drug has over Mevacor.
In data presented to the US FDA by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pravachol was reported to decrease total cholesterol by 24 per cent, LDL cholesterol by 32 per cent, and triglycerides by 15 per cent. HDL levels rise by 5 to 10 per cent. These effects are similar to those achieved with Mevacor at similar dosages.
Both Mevacor and Pravachol have been shown to be particularly effective when prescribed in combination with bile sequestrant drugs, either cholestyramine or colestipol. And both require the patient to follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet in addition to taking medication.
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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol
