High Cholesterol Treatment

Treatment may include:

Lifestyle Changes

• Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Eat high-fiber food. A vegetarian or vegan diet may be helpful in lowering your LDL cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about the best meal plan for you.
• Begin a safe exercise program with the advice of your doctor.
• If you smoke, quit.
• If you are overweight, lose weight.
• Avoid processed and refined sugars and starches (white bread, white potatoes, white rice and simple sugars)
• Drink alcohol in moderation. This means two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women.

Cholesterol-Lowering Medication

If diet and exercise do not work, you may need medication. Examples include:

• Cholestyramine (Questran)
• Colestipol (Colestid)
• Niacin (Niacor)
• Statins
  • Lovastatin (Mevacor)
  • Pravastatin (Pravachol)
  • Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
  • Simvastatin (Zocor)
  • Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
• Ezetimibe (Zetia)

Statins are often prescribed for high cholesterol. They have been shown to reduce mortality (death), Heart Attack , and stroke. Ezetimibe has reduced plaque in arteries. However, it has not been shown to reduce mortality.

Some may have a high risk for Coronary Artery Disease. In this case, combination therapy may be needed to lower LDL.