Should You Consider Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
If you have high cholesterol and have tried everything you can to get your cholesterol levels down then it may be time for you to consider cholesterol lowering drugs. If dietary changes, increased physical activity and weight loss have not helped you to reduce your cholesterol levels to a desirable level then you should talk to your doctor about cholesterol lowering drugs.
As with any drugs there are pros and cons to using this kind of therapy to reduce cholesterol. You should think about whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Each person is different and you may not respond to the drugs as desired.
What Do The Drugs Do?
Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs that are known by different names. This drug is used to block the production of cholesterol in your body. These drugs can also be used to reabsorb cholesterol that has already accumulated on your artery walls. This can be a big help and will help to prevent further blockages to your arteries.
Candidates
A high cholesterol level will be something that registers around 240 milligrams per deciliter or higher, or a bad cholesterol level of 130 milligrams per deciliter. There are other factors that will be taken into consideration when deciding if you are a candidate for cholesterol lowering drugs.
A family history of high cholesterol or a history of cardiovascular disease is an important factor in deciding if you should be put on this medication. Your blood pressure, present weight, age and gender will also be taken into consideration.
Lifestyle factors such as how active you are and whether you smoke will also help determine if you should take cholesterol lowering drugs. If you do not have other risk factors as mentioned above and your only problem is high cholesterol then you may not need to go on any medication to lower your cholesterol levels.
Dosage
There is no set dosage and the dose of cholesterol lowering drugs given to you will depend on a number of things. Depending on the type of medication you are prescribed you can start with a dose as low as five milligrams. If you need to significantly reduce your bad cholesterol levels then you may need a higher dose of medication.
Always question your doctor if you feel you are taking too much, seek a second opinion if you are not satisfied with the answers given to you. Going on medication like this is serious and you need to be totally sure that this is the right option for you.
