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Hypolipidemic Agent

Hypolipidemic agents, also known as lipid-lowering drugs or antihyperlipidemic agents, are a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used to treat high cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. There are several classes of these drugs that work through different mechanisms such as statins, fibrates, niacin, bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe, phytosterols, orlistat, and acipimox. The choice of drug depends on a patient's cholesterol and triglyceride levels, cardiovascular risk factors, and side effect profile. Statins are highly effective at lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol but can damage muscles, while fibrates primarily reduce triglycer

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Rakesh Valuparambil Raveendran
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79 views2 pages

Hypolipidemic Agent

Hypolipidemic agents, also known as lipid-lowering drugs or antihyperlipidemic agents, are a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used to treat high cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. There are several classes of these drugs that work through different mechanisms such as statins, fibrates, niacin, bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe, phytosterols, orlistat, and acipimox. The choice of drug depends on a patient's cholesterol and triglyceride levels, cardiovascular risk factors, and side effect profile. Statins are highly effective at lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol but can damage muscles, while fibrates primarily reduce triglycer

Uploaded by

Rakesh Valuparambil Raveendran
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hypolipidemic agent

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Hypolipidemic agents, or antihyperlipidemic agents, are a diverse group of pharmaceuticals


that are used in the treatment of hyperlipidemias. They are called lipid-lowering drugs (LLD) or
agents.

Classes of hypolipidemic drugs

There are several classes of hypolipidemic drugs. They may differ in both their impact on the
cholesterol profile and adverse effects. For example, some may lower the "bad cholesterol" low
density lipoprotein (LDL) more so than others, while others may preferentially increase high
density lipoprotein (HDL), "the good cholesterol". Clinically, the choice of an agent will depend
on the patient's cholesterol profile, cardiovascular risk, and the liver and kidney functions of the
patient, evaluated against the balancing of risks and benefits of the medications. In the United
States, this is guided by the evidence-based guideline from the National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII).

[edit] Established

• statins are particularly well-suited for lowering LDL, the cholesterol with the
strongest links to cardiovascular diseases. In studies using standard doses,
statins have been found to lower LDL-C by 18% to 55%, depending on the
specific statin being used. There is a risk of severe muscle damage
(myopathy & rhabdomyolysis) with statins.
• fibrates are indicated for hypertriglyceridemia. Fibrates typically lower
triglycerides by 20% to 50%. Level of the good cholesterol HDL is also
increased. Fibrates may decrease LDL, though generally to a lesser degree
than statins. Similar to statins, there is a risk of severe muscle damage
(myopathy & rhabdomyolysis) with fibrates.
• niacin, like fibrates, is also well-suited for lowering triglycerides by 20-50%. It
may also lower LDL by 5-25% and increase HDL by 15-35%. Niacin may cause
hyperglycemia, and may also cause liver damage.
• bile acid sequestrants (resins) are particularly effective for lowering LDL-C by
sequestering the cholesterol-containing bile acids released into the intestine
and preventing their reabsorption from the intestine. It decreases LDL by 15-
30% and raises HDL by 3-5%. It has little effect on triglycerides but can cause
a slight increase. Bile acid sequestrants may cause gastrointestinal problems,
and may also reduce the absorption of other drugs and vitamins from the gut.
• ezetimibe (Zetia) is a selective inhibitor of dietary cholesterol absorption.
• phytosterols may be found naturally in plants. Similar to ezetimibe,
phytosterols reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. Hence, they are
most effective when consumed with meals. However, the precise mechanism
of action of phytosterols differs from ezetimibe.
• Orlistat (Xenical): Its primary function is to prevent the absorption of about
30%of fats from the human diet; thereby reducing caloric intake (a drug
designed to treat obesity) is by inhibiting Pancreatic lipase- an enzyme that
breaks down triglycerides in the intestine.
• Acipimox

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