Is Your Medication Raising
Is Your Medication Raising Your Cholesterol?
Taking certain medications may result in some unhealthy side effects. Several drugs, including those for your heart, are thought to actually raise cholesterol levels.
By Diana RodriguezMedically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
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More than 102 million Americans have high cholesterol, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a condition that raises the risk of heart disease to a high level in one-third of the people who have it. Although high cholesterol levels are often due to genetics and an unhealthy diet, lesser-known factors can also raise your cholesterol — including the medications that you take for other conditions.
Corrosion pipe|| 3PE pipe| | Insulated pipe | Abrasion resistant pipe||Side effects of medications are quite common, and often they’re minor, but side effects like an increase in your cholesterol level can be serious. To counter medication-related high cholesterol, your doctor can prescribe an alternative medication to treat the original condition, or add a cholesterol-lowering medication to your treatment regimen.
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Why certain drugs raise cholesterol levels as a side effect isn't exactly understood. Most of the time, cholesterol level elevation is pretty minimal. But any increase in cholesterol is still a concern, especially for people with risk factors for heart disease, or for those who already have high cholesterol or are taking cholesterol-lowering medication.
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The following types of drugs, used to treat a variety of health conditions, may raise cholesterol levels:
Steroids. These drugs, sometimes prescribed for allergies and asthma as well as other conditions, have been known to be associated with modest elevations in triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, says Stanley L. Hazen, MD, PhD, director for the Center for the Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic, but it's not clear why. "More often, insulin resistance is observed, helping to cause mild TG [triglyceride] elevation and HDL cholesterol reduction," says Dr. Hazen.
Progestin. This hormone, usepipe fitting |Pipe Elbow
d in birth control pills, is known to raise “bad” LDL cholesterol and lower “good” HDL cholesterol for reasons that aren't understood, but it doesn't seem to have much effect on increasing a person's risk for cardiovascular disease.| |Pipe Tee | |Pipe Bend | |Pipe Cross | |Pipe Reducer | |Pipe Cap | |Lap joint | |Slip on flange | |Plat Weld Flange | |Blind Flange | |Welding Neck Flange | |
Retinoids. These drugs, often used to treat skin problems like acne, can cause slightly elevated cholesterol levels. They contain vitamin A, known to cause problems with the liver, which produces cholesterol.
Beta blockers. While beta blockers generally do not increase cholesterol levels in most people, they can cause what's known as secondary hyperlipidemia (increased blood fats) in a very small number of individuals, says Hazen. More often, beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure — another risk factor for heart disease — actually raise triglyceride levels (another blood fat). Why beta blockers can raise triglyceride levels in some people isn't understood, and it occurs pretty rarely, according to Hazen.
Diuretics. These drugs are also commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure. "Only hydrochlorothiazide is associated with potential for secondary hyperlipidemia," says Hazen, and this is also rare. Again, these drugs most often cause elevated triglyceride levels rather than higher total cholesterol, and for unknown reasons.
High Cholesterol: Other Medication Choices
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Especially for people taking diuretics or beta blockers to control high blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk, alternative treatments that don't raise cholesterol levels should be found. "It's something we've known for a long time about beta blockers and diuretics,” says Stephen J. Nicholls, MBBS, PhD, clinical director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention.
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Patients with high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels would not typically be started on beta blockers or diuretics as the first treatment of choice, says Dr. Nicholls. In |reducing straight tee | Welded Lateral Tee | cross fitting | Reducer fitting Threaded Concentric Reducer |cap fitting | bend fittings | tee fitting | bend fitting | cross over bend | elbow fitting | socket weld elbow | Big Size Welded Tee | High Pressure Teestead, a physician might prescribe an ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor or calcium-channel blocker to treat high blood pressure without raising cholesterol.
If you already have high cholesterol, make sure that all of your doctors know about it, and let them know about any other medications you are already taking before they prescribe a new medication. If you're concerned about developing high cholesterol and your doctor wants to prescribe one of these medications, talk to him about other alternatives to treat your condition.
Last Updated: 05/09/2011