ProLipid

Ezetimibe: Inhibiting The Uptake Of Cholesterol In The Gut

Another method to reduce blood cholesterol levels is to inhibit its uptake in the gut. This is how ezetimibe, the active agent in the drug Zetia® marketed by Merck and Schering-Plough works.

You can expect your LDL cholesterol to be reduced by approximately 20%. Because Ezetimibe is a relatively new agent, data on possible side effects is not as readily available as for statins or fibrates. Headaches and diarrhea are relatively common, and muscle aches have also been recorded, although rare. One main advantage for ezetimibe is the fact that it can be combined with other cholesterol-lowering drugs. For example, in 2006, the FDA approved a combination containing a fibrate (fenofibrate/TriCor®) in cases where both cholesterol and triglycerides were elevated called "mixed hyperlipidaemia." Ezetimibe can also be combined with statins to increase the LDL cholesterol lowering effect.

Nicotinic Acid: Increasing The Good Cholesterol

Nicotinic acid (Niacin) is another name for vitamin B3. When taken in very high doses (grams), it reduces triglycerides and increases HDL or "good" cholesterol by approximately 35% and 15 to 30%, repectively. LDL cholesterol may be lowered slightly.

Nicotinic acid is not considered an effective treatment of high triglyceride levels because of its side effects. One very frequent side effect encountered early in nicotinic acid therapy (by as many as 50% or more of patients) is "flushing" or a facial reddening and a feeling of heat, sometimes accompanied by itching. Although this may be a transient problem occuring only during the first weeks of therapy and can be controlled by taking aspirin or iboprofen, many patients consider it unacceptable. The worsening of diabetes by elevatin blood sugar levels, liver damage or gout are other potential risks.