Persons confronted with abnormally high cholesterol levels that can't be regulated only with the aid of diet and regular physical exercise can opt for cholesterol-lowering drugs to achieve and maintain balanced cholesterol levels. There are many different types of cholesterol-lowering medications at present, each medication having a distinctive action. Although many of today's cholesterol-lowering medications are efficient in reducing LDL (the so called ?bad cholesterol? ? the substance responsible for causing arteriosclerosis and heart disease), they also have many side-effects and thus it is very important to only use doctor-prescribed medications. In order to minimize side-effects and to maximize the benefic action of cholesterol-lowering drugs, you should respect the exact doctor's indications when following treatments with such medications.

At present, the most popular cholesterol-lowering medications are statins. Statins are very efficient in reducing blood cholesterol, as they inhibit the production of the enzyme which stimulates the secretion of cholesterol at the level of the liver. Prescribed in the right dose, statins can normalize the production of cholesterol inside the body, thus reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis and, consequently, heart attack and stroke. For the fact that statins are efficient both in preventing and reversing the undesirable effects of cholesterol inside the organism, they are prescribed to many different categories of patients with cholesterol problems.

The most frequently prescribed statin medications include: Pravastatin (Pravachol), Simvastatin (Zocor), Lovastatin (Mevacor), Fluvastatin (Lescol), Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and Rosuvastatin (Crestor). All these mentioned medications produce similar effects and can successfully reduce cholesterol levels when prescribed in the appropriate dose. Statin medications usually have mild side-effects such as nausea, abdominal bloating and vomiting, which disappear as soon as the treatment is interrupted. In very rare cases, statins can cause muscular problems, liver and kidney failure.

Resins are another commonly prescribed type of cholesterol-lowering medications. Unlike statins, which reduce cholesterol levels by limiting the production of the substance inside the liver, resins stimulate the excretion of the substance from the body. Resins are considered to be very safe and rarely interact with other types of cholesterol-lowering medications. Due to this fact, they are sometimes associated with statins or other similar drugs. The most commonly prescribed resins include: Cholestyramine (Questran), Colesevelam (WelChol) and Colestipol (Colestid).

Other popular medications used for controlling cholesterol levels are nicotinic acid-based drugs. Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is actually a vitamin from the B-vitamin complex. Corroborated with other cholesterol-lowering medications, niacin is very efficient in reducing cholesterol levels.

All the mentioned cholesterol-lowering medications are effective in normalizing and controlling blood cholesterol levels. However, it is very important to ask for advice from your doctor before deciding to use such medications. In order to minimize side-effects and to increase the benefic effects of these medications, it is advisable to respect the doctor's orders.