Even if you’ve been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, it doesn’t mean it’s the end for you. There’s a lot of cholesterol medication available. Treatments include cholesterol medications that one can obtain over-the-counter, prescribe cholesterol medications and alternative methods. Cholesterol medications differ in every person.

Cholesterol apheresis is a new kind of cholesterol medication. It is a treatment that if the change of lifestyle, natural alternatives and high dosage of prescription don’t work. Also known as LDL apheresis, this new cholesterol medication is very much like the procedure of kidney dialysis. The blood of a patients arm is drained with a catheter. The blood plasma is then separated from the rest of the blood with the aid of a machine. The blood is then returned to the patient while the plasma is being filtered.

The LDL (low density lipoprotein), VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) and Lp(a) (lipoprotein A) is separated from the rest of the plasma. The plasma is then returned to the patient upon completion. This cholesterol medication procedure lasts for 3 hours. The only side effect of this cholesterol medication is the low blood pressure of the patient.

Natural medicine is also another way of treating high blood cholesterol. This type of cholesterol medication is usually associated with vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and other biological compounds. Researchers say that some certain amino acids lower the cholesterol level. However, these kinds of amino acids can not be acquired through food or isn’t produced by our body. You can only obtain these amino acids through the pharmacy or nutrition store.

When diet and exercise fails, prescription medication is the backup of cholesterol medication. Consult or ask your doctor so that you will know what type of cholesterol medication is right for you. There are different types of prescription medication. These are:

* Absorption Inhibitors – a newly discovered type of drugs that only contains ezetimibe. Stops the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.

* Bile Acid Sequestrants – also called “bile acid resins”, prevents cholesterol from being absorbed into circulation by binding to bile in the small intestine.

* Fibric Acid Derivatives – also known as fibrates. It reduces the production of triglycerides and increases the HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and decreases the LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol).

* Nicotinic Acid – more known as “niacin” or “vitamin B-3”. It lowers the triglycerides and low density lipoprotein. Increases the level of HDL. The side effect varies from person to person. These include flushing, night sweats, palpitations, cardiac fibrillations, decreased glucose tolerance, migraines and skin hyperpigmentation.

* Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids – commonly used for treating high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels.

* Statin Drugs – the most commonly used in treating high cholesterol that cant be controlled by diet therapy and regular exercise.

Are you watching your diet? Do you feel a little run-down because you seem to be eating the wrong foods? Do you think the cholesterol recipe you have been trying to make is not exactly what you need?

If you have been through a lipoprotein profile or a cholesterol test, you have probably heard and understood what your numbers mean. A high total blood cholesterol level or LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio would easily mean that there is a high risk factor for heart disease as well. Your doctor may have given you tips on how to improve your cholesterol numbers and may have given you a cholesterol management program. These programs would include eating habits specifics like a cholesterol recipe that would be beneficial to you. A change in lifestyle to bring down your level would mean choosing the right foods. Cholesterol recipe collections for your specific requirements are available at www.mealsforyou.com. Aside from containing the preparation time and cook time of the cholesterol recipe you intend to make, it also gives you a breakdown on calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and the cholesterol contents.

Another good source for a cholesterol recipe would be www.Cooks.com. They offer a lot of substitute suggestions on the ingredients to come up with a lesser cholesterol content in a particular cholesterol recipe. Also, suggestions on cooking methods to be used for a better low cholesterol recipe are also provided backed up with explanations.

Visiting www.2heartdisease.com would give you low cholesterol recipe suggestions from the National Institute of Health. There are plenty of choices of low cholesterol recipe for soups, entrees, side dishes, and desserts.

The website www.lowfatweekly.com offers a variety of tried and tested choices of low cholesterol recipe. What’s even good about this site is that you will have the chance to send in your own low cholesterol recipe as well. The site boasts of recipes versions that were inspired by the family’s favorites, without the high fat and cholesterol content.

It is a very reassuring feeling that a low cholesterol recipe can take our minds off our being heart diseases prone. There are actually recipes adapted from everyone’s favorite food, especially modified to take out the harmful fat and cholesterol content. So now, a patient can still enjoy a turkey burger, creamy chocolate fudge, or even finger-licking curried chicken…all without the guilt!

On May of 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) issued new and major clinical cholesterol guidelines. Hoping to manage and prevent the increase of high cholesterol in adults. This was the last update of NCEP ten years ago.

In line with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, they developed new cholesterol guidelines through research and study. The significant changes in the guidelines are the more insistent cholesterol-reducing treatment and identification of those who are at high risk of heart disease, the use of lipoprotein profile as a first step for treating high cholesterol level, a new stage at which low high-density lipoprotein (low HDL) becomes a major high risk factor for heart diseases, brand new set of “Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes” with more power to improve cholesterol levels, to focus more on the cluster of risk factors in heart disease called “the metabolic syndrome” and to boost the awareness of treatments of high triglycerides.

With these new cholesterol guidelines they expected a considerable amount of increase in the number of Americans treated for high cholesterol.  These include the raise in the number of dietary treatments from the estimated amount of 52 million to 65 million. It will also increase the number of prescription for cholesterol-reducing drugs from 13 million to 36 million.

The guidelines state that diabetes also poses a great risk in having heart disease.  It also suggests that persons with diabetes be treated as intensively as patients with heart disease, including their lifestyles changes and medication.

The new cholesterol guidelines included a tool that will predict a person’s chance of having heart disease within the span of 10 years. The said to will calculate the risk of men and women separately. The tool was highly recommended by the ATP (Adult Treatment Patients) for people who have two or more risk factors of heart disease.

The other changes in the new cholesterol guidelines are:

* More aggressive treatment of high cholesterol for those who have diabetes; in addition to the high short-term risk of having a coronary episode, Type 2 diabetes is also in a high risk of dying of a heart attack.

* Lipoprotein profile as the first step in testing for high cholesterol; it is the measurement of the levels of LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, and other fatty substance in the bloodstream.

* A new phase wherein low-HDL is a main risk factor for heart disease.

* Strengthening the use of physical activity, nutrition and weight control in the treatment of high blood cholesterol level.

* The identification of a “metabolic syndrome” of the risk factors relating to insulin resistance.

* More aggressive treatment for high triglycerides.

* Advising to stop using “Hormone Replacement Therapy” “HRT” as a substitute to cholesterol-reducing medicines.

A healthy diet and regular exercise help maintain our cholesterol level. But sometimes these will not work. This is where cholesterol medications comes in. There are many cholesterol medications in the market. Before you take cholesterol medications you must first understand what it is and what it does.

Cholesterol medication or cholesterol reducing medications are medications that lower the blood level of lipids like LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. It also increases the level of DHL cholesterol (good cholesterol). There are many types of cholesterol medications, these are HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statin), nicotinic acid, and fibric acid derivatives. There is also another type of cholesterol medication that decreases the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. These are bile acid sequestants and cholesterol absorption inhibitors. Some cholesterol medications lower the LDL cholesterol while some lowers triglycerides. Others elevate the HDL cholesterol level. There are also some cholesterol medications that lowers the LDL cholesterol and increases the HDL cholesterol altogether.

Of all the cholesterol medications, statins is most effective and widely used. It is high effective in lowering the LDL cholesterol level. Further studies proved that statins reduce heart attacks and strokes. It also increases the chance of survival for those who suffered heart attack and strokes. With long term use, statins are tolerable with low side effects. It increases the HDL cholesterol level and reduces triglyceride levels.

Another type of cholesterol medications is nicotinic acid or “niacin”. Niacin is also vitamin B. High doses of niacin is used in treating triglycerides and cholesterol disorders. Nicotinic acid is used for treating those who only have low HDL cholesterol levels.

Fibric acid derivatives or fibrates are efficient cholesterol medications in reducing the blood triglyceride levels. It reduces the production of VLDL (a very rich triglyceride lipoprotein fraction) in the liver. Although fibrates are effective in increasing the level of HDL cholesterol, it is not effective in the lowering of LDL cholesterol. This type of cholesterol medications are also used in preventing pancreatitis.

Bile acid sequestrants are cholesterol medications used for reducing the LDL cholesterol level. In order to produce bile acids, the liver converts cholesterol into bile acids. Bile acid sequestrants bind the bile acids in the intestines, which reduces the return of bile acids to the liver. This compels the liver to produce more bile acids. Taken with statin or niacin, bile acid sequestrants are very effective in lowering the LDL cholesterol.

It is essential to combine cholesterol medications and changes in lifestyle for some individual. The National Cholesterol Education Program estimated that over 9 million individuals in America alone take cholesterol-lowering drug therapy. But before you take cholesterol medications ask your physician on how each cholesterol medication works. You must be familiar with the side effects of the cholesterol medications that you are going to take.

Having your level of cholesterol read is very important if you have high blood cholesterol level. Cholesterol readings are the readings that consist of total cholesterol, low level lipoprotein cholesterol levels (LDL cholesterol), triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol level (HDL cholesterol). When you are having your cholesterol level checked by your doctor, it is vital that you have the cholesterol levels of the three (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.) checked. The desirable total cholesterol readings are 200mg/dL with a borderline limit of 200 mg/dL to 239mg/dL. You are at risk of having a heart disease of you have a total of 240mg/dL above cholesterol readings.

LDL Cholesterol

Low density lipoprotein is more known as the “bad” cholesterol. At high levels may possibly cause cholesterol deposits in the walls of the blood streams which increase the risk of possible heart disease. The desirable LDL cholesterol level is below 200 milligrams per deciliter or 200 mg/dL. The borderline limit of LDL is between 200-239mg/dL. It is dangerous if you have a LDL cholesterol level of 240mg/dL above.

HDL Cholesterol

High density lipoprotein is the “good” cholesterol. High density lipoprotein washes away excess cholesterol from the tissue to the liver. By which the liver breaks it down and it becomes part of the bile for removal. An HDL level of 40mg/dL is suggested. You must maintain your HDL level within 40mg/dL to 45mg/dL. It should not go below 40mg/dL. Levels above 60mg/dL are said to protect the heart and is beneficial to brain functions because it protect the cerebral blood vessels as well as coronary vessels.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are another type of fat. It is accumulated as fat in our body that flows in the blood stream.  Almost all of the fats in our diet are triglycerides. Triglycerides are one of the main factors of heart disease. At high levels, it thickens the blood and may possibly lead to heart attack or stroke due to blood clotting. It is best that you maintain your triglyceride level at 150 below with a borderline limit of 150 to 199. It should not exceed 200 above.

In maintaining your cholesterol level, remember, there are no ideal cholesterol readings. Ideal cholesterol readings vary on each person. It will depend on the individual’s risk factor (family history, sex, health condition and age.). Though expert suggest that having a total of over 240mg/dL is an indication of a lifestyle change, because having over 24mg/dL of total cholesterol increases the risk of having heart problem. The new set of national guidelines recommended that those who have a high blood cholesterol level should be treated every 1 to 2 years. It is probably that one can have little benefit if one is being checked every 2-3 months unless one is on some kind of intensive therapy.

Do you know why cholesterol tests are different from other kinds of medical tests? It is because cholesterol tests are used to calculate the increased risk of heart disease rather that diagnosing or monitoring it. Experts said that the hardening of the blood vessels is associated with high blood cholesterol. It is because of the LDL cholesterol or low density lipoproteins that are accumulated in the blood stream and is one of the main causes of heart diseases. In order to prevent heart disease, one must take cholesterol tests.
Every individual should take the cholesterol tests every five years or more if they have been diagnosed of high blood cholesterol. This is regularly done in combination of routine physical examinations. Cholesterol tests are taken in concoction of other tests. These include HDL (high density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol), LDL (low density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides or lipid profile.

Usually blood samples are taken from the veins of the fore arm though sometimes blood samples from the fingertips are taken. The blood sample take will then be analyzed by a cholesterol testing device. Cholesterol tests are done several times a year in those who are on a prescribed diet or low calorie diet and for those who are taking cholesterol lowering medications. Cholesterol tests are used to monitor the progress in lowering the cholesterol level.

If you have taken a cholesterol tests you already know that the test results are grouped in three types. These are the:

* Desirable – the cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL below is regarded to be desirable because it has a low risk of heart disease.

* Borderline high - a total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL to 240 mg/dL is at fair risk of having heart disease. If you have this kind of cholesterol level, your doctor will more likely decide to let you have a lipid profile so that he will know which cholesterol level is high. Whether it is LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) or HDL (good cholesterol).

* b– a 240 mg/dL cholesterol level is considered to be at high risk of heart disease. Expect a lipid profiling if your cholesterol level is this high. It is more likely that you will be given a prescribe cholesterol lowering medication along with a low cholesterol diet.

Cholesterol tests are usually given when the individual is healthy because the blood cholesterol level of an individual who has an acute illness, (after a heart attack or after surgery or accident) are likely to be low. Individuals are advised to wait at least six weeks after any illness before taking cholesterol tests. Pregnant women are also advised to wait six weeks before having their cholesterol level measured.

Is your cholesterol level high?

Regardless of the regular physical activity, diet therapy and weight loss. You might want to try cholesterol lowering drugs. Cholesterol lowering drugs is the other alternative in lowering your cholesterol level if everything else fails. You must know that cholesterol is necessary in every cell in your body. But if you have too much of it, you also increase your risk of heart disease. That’s why it is important to have a good and healthy lifestyle.
The importance in taking cholesterol lowering drugs depends on a number of reasons. These include the level of the cholesterol in your blood and other fats. Cholesterol lowering drugs are a great help in lowering your cholesterol level. However, some of these drugs are expensive and some tend to have side effects. It is important that you maintain a low fat diet, regular exercise, a healthy weight and stop smoking. Take time to read the up for side effects. Consult your physician if experience some side effects.
Statin
There are many kinds of cholesterol lowering drugs. One of these is statin. Statin drugs are very successful in lowering the cholesterol level. On the other hand, these types of cholesterol lowering drugs have been known to have some side effects. Research suggests that if you are taking statin drugs, you should also take “Co-Enzyme Q-10”. Some essential enzymes are depleted if you take this kind of cholesterol lowering drugs and by supplementing it with “Co-Q”, it will protect your heart.
Bile Acid Sequestrates
Bile acid sequestrates are also another kind of cholesterol lowering drugs. Bile acids are secreted from the liver and gall bladder in the bile. This will go through the intestine to reduce any fatty material in the food to help the absorption. Most of these secreted bile acids are then reabsorbed by the intestine and then back to the liver. The only disadvantage of these drugs is malabsorption.
Fibric Acids
Fibric acids (also called “fibrates”) work by cutting down the triglyceride production and removing it from circulation. These cholesterol lowering drugs also increases the level of HDL or “good” cholesterol. Fibrates contain gemfibrozil or “lopid and fenofibrate (tricor).
Nicotinic Acid
Nicotinic acids or “niacins” works by lowering the LDL or “bad” cholesterol and increases the HDL “good” cholesterol. Substantial amount of doses of vitamin niacins can lower triglycerides.

Most of these cholesterol lowering drugs are easy to administer, although they have a few drug-drug interactions. Gastrointestinal (usually constipation, abdominal pains and cramps) is the most common side effect of cholesterol lowering drugs. Symptoms of these cholesterol lowering drugs are usually mild to severe and usually settle as the therapy continues. Choosing the type of cholesterol lowering drugs that is right for you is very essential.