How medicines fit in

If your cholesterol level doesn't respond to diet and exercise – and you have a history of heart disease in your family – your doctor may prescribe you some medication.

Types of medicine used
Listed below are the types of medicines available to treat high cholesterol:

• Statins are effective in reducing the amount of bad cholesterol. They also reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
  
  
• Fibrates reduce your triglyceride levels and increase your levels of good cholesterol but have little effect on bad cholesterol.
  
  
• Bile acid sequestrants prevent the cholesterol your body uses during the digestive process from being reabsorbed in the intestines by combining it with bile acids and excreting it.
  
  
• Ezetimibe works by decreasing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. It may be used alone when other cholesterol-lowering medications are not tolerated, or together with a statin when cholesterol levels are unable to be controlled by statins alone.
  

Find out more about these and other treatment options.

Things to consider
It is important to keep taking any medication your doctor had prescribed for your cholesterol in order to minimise the risks of developing heart disease or stroke. If you experience any side effects from your medication discuss these with your doctor.