There are various lipid lowering drugs that can either reduce
your LDL levels, increase your HDL level or both.
The main groups are the statins (e.g. simvastatin, lovastatin,
mevastatin), fibrates (e.g. clofibrate, gemfribozil, fenofibrate),
resins (e.g. cholestyramine, cholestipol), niacin and probucol.
Statins are very common HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, so they
force your body to use circulating LDL in the blood reducing LDL
levels.
Fibrates lower your triglyercide levels, and have a duel action
of both increasing lipoprotein lipase activity and decreasing the
synthesis of VLDL. If taking these you should reduce your fat in
the diet esp. in cases of high chylomicron levels
Resins are tiny beads in an orange drink which bind bile acids
in the gut and remove the bile acid from the body. This in turn
means that there is no negative feedback to 7-alpha-hydroxylase,
and so bile acids continue to be produced which thereby reduce your
LDL levels.
Probucol is an antioxidant that doesn't lower your cholesterol
levels specifically but does lower plaque formation, so it is often
used in conjunction with statins.
Nonmedical alternatives are available such as eating omega-3
containing food such as eggs, and fish, and opting for reducing
your saturated fat, and trans-fat intake by reading labels and
picking your food more wisely.
You should try to reduce fat intake in general, but also opt to
eat food with PUFA fats (Polyunsaturated fatted acids). Many other
cholesterol controlling methods are also available but that is not
exactly what you were asking so I will avoid getting into it.
Best wishes, and consult your family doctor in regards to this
for help.
