In addition, many Americans prefer the ease of taking pills to the work of lifestyle changes, a preference supported by many doctors. As a result, in recent years, prescriptions for cholesterol-cutting drugs, particularly the statins, have soared. Today, an estimated 5 percent of American adults take cholesterol-lowering medication. There are currently three major types of cholesterol-lowering drugs. They interfere with the action of an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis in the liver.
Statins also help prevent LDLs from reaching the bloodstream.
According to heart disease specialist Michael Criqui, M.D., a professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, at San Diego, Medical Center, statins reduce LDLs 20 to 40 percent, increase HDLs 5 to 15 percent, and cut triglycerides 10 to 20 percent. Despite their side effects, the statins have become the drugs of choice for people at high risk of heart attack who need their LDLs reduced substantially and quickly. However, as the newest cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins' longterm safety remains an open question, especially in light of some evidence linking them to an increased risk of cancer in laboratory animals. Bile Acid Sequestrants. These drugs act in the digestive tract to prevent release of cholesterol into the bloodstream.