Medications to reduce cholesterol

What Is High Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for cell function, cell signalling, the production of certain hormones and enzymes. The majority of cholesterol is produced by the liver from body fats (endogenous cholesterol) and some cholesterol comes from dietary sources (exogenous cholesterol).

The three main types of cholesterol are: LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

  • LDL cholesterol is a type of cholesterol transported in the blood, from the liver to other organs and tissues of the body.
  • HDL cholesterol is a type of cholesterol that is transported from the various organs, tissues and cells in the body back to the liver for processing.
  • Triglycerides are another type of fat that are transported in the blood from the intestines to the liver.

High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood can lead a condition called hypercholesteremia.

This can make it more likely for someone to have a build-up of fat in their arteries (called a plaque) and block blood flow to important organs like the heart or the brain.

Hypercholesteremia can be reversed using a combination of lifestyle changes and medications used to reverse high blood cholesterol.

At Meds for Less we sell a range of these medications, including Statins and Ezetimibe.

You can order these medications, safely, reliably and conveniently from our website for next day delivery to your home address.

Cholesterol is a lipid (a type of fat), the majority of it is produced in your body but some can come from food substances as well. Its essential in your body for the building cells and the production of certain hormones.

There are 3 main types of cholesterol:

Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol: Known commonly as “bad cholesterol”, this type of cholesterol is carried from your liver to your other tissues. High levels of this can cause a build-up of fatty plaque in your arteries and clog them. This can reduce blood flow to important tissues like the heart, brain or the limbs.

Blood clots can also form and then break-away and lodge elsewhere and cut off blood supply to organs like the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.

“High cholesterol” is typically referred to as High LDL cholesterol.

High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: Known commonly as “good cholesterol”, HDL is a protein that carries cholesterol back from body tissues to be broken down and recycled.

Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are typically considered good for health, however please discuss your cholesterol test results with your healthcare provider about what they mean for you.

Triglycerides: This is another type of fat found in the bloodstream, high levels of these fats can also increase the risk of heart disease.

How to identify high cholesterol

High cholesterol levels are typically found through a blood test known as a lipid profile / panel.

A lipid profile allows for an analysis of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and Triglyceride levels in your bloodstream.

The test often occurs after 9-12 hours of fasting, where the patient consumes no food or drink apart from water. A sample of blood is taken from the patient’s arm and sent to the lab. The lab runs the sample and conducts the lipid profile of the blood sample and sends the results back to the analysis.

Ideally, a LDL cholestrol count of less than 100mg/dL is considered good

a HDL cholestrol count of more than 60 mg/dL is considered good

Triglyceride levels are recommended to be less than 150 mg/dL

A special formula is also applied to calculate “total cholesterol” levels, and the value for this is typically indicated to be less than 200 mg/DL.

While these values are considered “standard”, each person is different and hence may have different levels cholesterol in their blood which is healthy for them.

Please speak to your healthcare provider about your lipid profile results and what they mean for you.

How to lower cholesterol

Lowering cholesterol is good for cardiovascular health and can be protective for the heart brain and other vital organs for the body.

 

Ways to reduce your cholesterol is by bringing about dietary changes, physical activity, weight management, reducing alcohol and smoking and considering cholesterol lowering medications.

When considering dietary changes, it might be beneficial to:

  •       Increase soluble fibres like oats, beans, lentils and fruits which can decreases LDL cholesterol.
  •       Increasing healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and omega-3 fatty acids from fish
  •       Reducing saturated fats and trans fats like red-meat, full fat dairy, processed foods or hydrogenated oils.

It might be beneficial to increase physical activity by doing regular exercise and incorporating strength or resistance training.

Moderating alcohol consumption and quitting smoking can increase HDL cholestrol and improve cardiovascular health

Apart from lifestyle changes, it might also be beneficial to take some cholesterol lowering medications such as Statins or Ezetimibe.

Please speak to your healthcare provider about which cholesterol lowering pathway is best for you, and which medication you should take if you choose to do so.

High Cholesterol Treatment Medication

There are different medication options for treating high cholesterol.

The most common medication for high cholesterol are statins. Statins work by inhibiting an important enzyme in the liver that’s key in the production of cholesterol. This in turn, lowers the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Statins need to be taken lifelong as stopping them will cause an increase in blood cholesterol levels, hence they are only prescribed to patients with very high blood cholesterol.

Another common class of anti-cholesterol medication are the cholesterol absorption inhibitors.  These medicines reduce uptake of dietary cholesterol in the gut tube and hence reduces the amount of cholesterol that enters the blood.

How Can I Buy Anti-Cholesterol Medication Online?

You can easily buy high blood cholesterol medication online at MedsForLess.

Simply fill out a confidential form regarding your symptoms, test results, and previous medical history.

Our in house doctors will review and approve your request, and you will have your high cholesterol medication delivered to your home in less than 24 hours.

FAQs

What is the best medicine to reduce cholesterol?

The best medication to reduce cholesterol are generally considered to be statins. These medicines work by stopping liver enzymes from producing cholesterol and hence lowering the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the bloodstream and raising the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol.

There are also other common medications like Ezetimibe (a cholesterol absorption inhibitor), which works by reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut.

However, the best medication to treat cholesterol issues depends on your individual health status, cholesterol levels, risk of heart disease or lifestyle.

Can You Buy Cholesterol Tablets Over The Counter?

Most cholesterol medications such as Statins or Ezetimibe are prescription medications.

However, you can conveniently purchase these hypercholestermia medications online from Meds For Less.

During checkout, simply fill out a form about your symptoms and medical history, it will be confidentially reviewed by our inhouse doctors, who will then approve your request as appropriate, and your medication will be delivered to your home address in less than 24 hours.

Can I Lower My Cholesterol With Medication?

Cholesterol levels can certainly be lowered with the help of medication.

Medicines like statins can reduce cholesterol production by the liver and therefore, reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

Other medications like ezetimibe can reduce cholesterol absorption from the gut and therefore reduce blood cholesterol too.

Less commonly used medications like Praluent (using the active ingredient Alirocumab) or Repatha (using the active ingredient Evolocumab) are injectiable medications that help the liver reduce more LDL cholesterol from the blood.

Alternative medicines like Bile Acid sequestrants or fibrates may also be used to lower blood cholesterol.

Please speak to your healthcare provider about which high cholesterol treatment medication is right for you.

Can A Person With High Cholesterol Reverse It Without Statins?

High cholesterol levels can be reversed without the use of statins by implementing lifestyle changes.

Some effective strategies for lifestyle changes include:

Dietary Adjustments:

  • Increasing healthy foods such as Fruit and Vegetables, Whole grains, Healthy Fats, legumes and nuts.
  • Decreasing unhealthy food like trans or saturated fats, sugar or refined carbs.

Conducting Regular Physical Activity:

  • Conducting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic (cardio focused) exercise every week. This works out to around 20-25 minutes a day.
  • Conducting strength training at-least twice a week

Weight Management:

  • Reducing body weight by 5-10% can significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Quitting Smoking & Reducing Alcohol:

  • Quitting smoking increases HDL cholesterol in the blood and improves cardiovascular health.
  • Reducing alcohol can also improve blood cholesterol profiles.

Are eggs bad for cholesterol?

Eggs and their relationship with dietary and blood cholesterol has been a topic of considerable debate.

Eggs have two components, yolks and whites; while 1 egg yolk contains as much as 186 mg of cholesterol, egg white is virtually cholesterol free.

Egg yolk has a lot of fat-soluble vitamins as well such as B12, B2 and D, however egg white is primarily composed of proteins and consists of around 3.5 grams of protein per egg.

Eggs when eaten in moderation are not bad for cholesterol, they provide you with a good amount of high quality protein, essential vitamins and beneficial nutrients like choline and selenium.

Eating up to 7 eggs a week does not significantly increase cholesterol levels or the risk of heart disease, even if you suffer from hypercholesteremia (high cholesterol levels).  This is especially true if eggs are consumed as part of a balanced diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.

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