DRUGS LOWER CHOLESTEROL
Report #7215
If your have a high blood cholesterol level, try the DASH diet (see report #8614.) If that doesn't work, you probably should take drugs.
Whenever you take a drug to do one thing, you must always ask yourself if the drug will correct your problem, but cause another disease in its place. For example, the first drugs used to treat cholesterol were extraordinarily effective, but caused cataracts, so they were taken off the market. The modern drugs, called reductase inhibitors, are highly effective and relatively safe. They prevent heart attacks in people with high cholesterols,/ those who have never had heart attacks,/ those who have had heart attacks,/ and those who have blocked arteries called angina. These drugs should be monitored because they can cause abnormal liver tests, muscle pains particularly after exercising, upset stomach and headache. However, they always should be prescribed in addition to diet and lifestyle changes, rather than in place of them. All people on these cholesterol lowering drugs should reduce their intake of meat, chicken and bakery products and increase their intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News
1) JA Herd, CM Ballantyne, JA Farmer, JJ Ferguson, PH Jones, S West, KL Gould, AM Gotto.
Effects of fluvastatin on coronary atherosclerosis in patients with mild to moderate
cholesterol elevations (lipoprotein and coronary atherosclerosis study [LCAS]. American
Journal of Cardiology 80: 3 (AUG 1 1997):278-286. 2) L Ceremuzynski, T Chamiec, K Herbaczynskacedro. Effect of supplemental oral
L-arginine on exercise capacity in patients with stable angina pectoris. American Journal
of Cardiology 80: 3 (AUG 1 1997):331. 3) MH Davidson, JW Nawrocki, SR Weiss, SL Schwartz, PJ Lupien, PH Jones, HE Haber, DM
Black. Effectiveness of atorvastatin for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to
national cholesterol education program treatment goals. American Journal of Cardiology 80:
3 (AUG 1 1997):347. 4) JP Rindone, G Arriola, D Hiller, R Achacoso. Changes in serum lipids when fluvastatin
is substituted for lovastatin in the same doses. American Journal of Cardiology 80: 3 (AUG
1 1997):348.
Reported 9/1/97; updated 9/5/05