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Prevention
Medications to Lower Cholesterol
Medications to Lower CholesterolEating good, healthy foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, and exercising regularly, will makeyou feel better but may not reduce your risk enough.If that’s the case, you and your doctor can discuss medication options.Statins are the first line treatment for lowering cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.They work to block the liver from making cholesterol.This in turn reduces the amount of cholesterol in the liver cells, which results in the liver removingcholesterol from the blood.People in the following groups are most likely to benefit from statin therapy and should discuss theadvantages and disadvantages of therapy with their physicians:People who have had a cardiovascular event, such as heart attack, stroke, angina, peripheral arterydisease, transient ischemic attack, or coronary or other arterial revascularization.People 21 and older who have a very high level of LDL, or bad cholesterol, defined as 190 mg/dL orhigher.People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who are 40 to 75 years old with an LDL cholesterol level of 70189 mg/dL.The American Heart Association now recommends that doctors and healthcare providers use a riskassessment calculator to determine whether or not people without a history of heart disease mightbenefit from statins to lower their cardiovascular risk.Adults between the ages of 40 to 75 years old, who have scored 7.5 percent or higher on this tenyear risk calculator for heart attack or stroke, are advised to discuss statin therapy with their doctors.So, if you don’t know what your risk for heart disease and stroke is, it’s important to find out.In general, adults age twenty and over should have their cholesterol, and other traditionalcardiovascular risk factors, checked every 4 to 6 years, as long as their results remain in the normalrange.Eat healthier foods, such as fruits, vegetables, high fiber foods, and low-fat or fat-free dairy.And practice healthy substitution – have steamed vegetables rather than French fries, whole grainpasta with low-sodium tomato sauce instead of meat sauce, and fruit instead of ice cream.Exercise on a regular basis.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG00154B EN MedicationsToLowerCholesterol.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Medications to Lower CholesterolRunning, bicycling, or simply walking are all good aerobic-type exercises.In the end, controlling cholesterol has as much to do with a patient’s choices, as it does with medicaltreatment.“I always tell the patient it's a 50-50, I can educate them all I want on it but it's up to them tofollow through. There's no magic pill for this and it's really hard work.”“Watch what you eat, do at least some exercise and listen to what the doctor is telling you thatyou need to do.”“It's worth the effort and you'll just enjoy life better, I think.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG00154B EN MedicationsToLowerCholesterol.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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Understand what cholesterol is, how it affects your body, and what you can do to help keep your levels in a healthy range.
Exercise, quitting smoking, and taking your medicines right can help you control your cholesterol.
Learn about working with your healthcare provider who will prescribe medication to help with controlling your cholesterol.
Medicine can give you the extra help you need to control your cholesterol. If medicine is prescribed, be sure to take it exactly as directed.
