Friday, November 2, 2012

What to Know About Triglyceride-Lowering Meds

If you have high triglycerides, your doctor may prescribe medicine to help you keep your levels in check. That?s okay -- sometimes, diet and exercise alone can?t do the trick. Your cholesterol levels need an extra nudge -- in the form of medicine.

What Your Numbers Mean

A common triglycerides goal is to have less than 150 mg/dL, but goals can be different. Your doctor will review your risks for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, and set a goal that works best for you.

Sometimes a healthy lifestyle can?t lower triglycerides enough to protect your health. In those cases, the next step is to add medicine. You may also be put on meds if you:?

  • Have very high triglycerides -- over 500 mg/dL
  • Have both high triglycerides and high ?bad? LDL cholesterol levels

Choose the Right Triglyceride Medicine

Your doctor will consider many factors when choosing the right medicine for you. For instance, are you taking other meds? What is your overall health? ?

There are three main medication classes:

  • Fibrates: Atromid-S (clofibrate), Gemcor or Lopid (gemfibrozil), Tricor (fenofibrate)
  • Niacin: Niaspan (niacin)
  • Prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acids: Lovaza (omega-3-acid ethyl Esters) and Vascepa (icosapent ethyl)

Cholesterol-Lowering Medicine

High triglycerides and high cholesterol often go hand in hand. If you have both conditions, your doctor might also want you to take a cholesterol-lowering medicine. These meds can slightly lower triglycerides, too. There are three main classes:

  • Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: Zetia (ezetimibe)
  • Statins: Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin)
  • Statin combination drugs: Advicor (niacin extended-release and lovastatin), Simcor (niacin extended-release and simvastatin)

Get What You Need From Follow-up Visits

After you get your prescription, you'll probably see your doctor every six weeks until your triglyceride levels drop. Use these check-ins to talk about any side effects you find bothersome.

Once you reach your goal level, you'll see your doctor every six to 12 months. At these follow-up visits, they?ll take blood to make sure your triglycerides are still under control. Keep these appointments -- they?re a key part of lowering your risk of heart attack and stroke.

If you're taking fibrates or niacin, your doctor may use these follow-up visits to take blood to check your liver.

Take Your Pills

"Studies show that about 50% of patients stop taking their medicines after about a year," says Michael Miller, MD, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. ?

That means 50% keep taking them -- make a choice to be one of them.

These meds lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Don?t risk your health by stopping medicine without your doctor?s approval. If something is making you want to quit, think about ways to solve it...

Source: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/know-triglyceride-lowering-meds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ann romney marco rubio marco rubio farrah abraham Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley chris cooley

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