Cholesterol Treatment

Treatment of high cholesterol is aimed at lowering the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or "bad cholesterol," lowering triglyceride levels, and increasing the high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or "good cholesterol." Decreasing total cholesterol by 10% can result in a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease incidence. For every 1% decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol levels), heart disease rates drop 2%. On the other hand, for every 1% decrease in HDL, there is a 2 to 3% increase in the risk of heart disease.

A low fat/low cholesterol diet and exercise are essential in helping to lower cholesterol and to maintain low cholesterol levels. While drug therapy is often needed to lower cholesterol, diet and exercise are additionally recommended to help the drug therapy lower and control cholesterol levels. Patients with established cardiac disease and multiple risk factors (metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or smoking) are sometimes given more intense lifestyle changes. To learn more about diet and exercise, click on the "Helping Yourself" section above.

The decision to start a patient with dietary therapy or drug therapy is usually based on a patient's LDL cholesterol levels, presence of heart disease, and risk factors. Your doctor should calculate your "10-year risk" (also known as a ?Framingham Risk?) for developing heart disease and use that risk estimation to decide if and when to start cholesterol-lowering therapy either through dietary modifications or medications.

Lipitor, A great Treatment

Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication that blocks the production of cholesterol (a type of fat) in the body. Lipitor reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to heart attack, stroke, and vascular disease. Lipitor is used to treat high cholesterol. Lipitor is also used to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other heart complications in people with coronary heart disease or type 2 diabetes

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