|
|
| Bile Acid Sequestrants |
 |
Review
Summary |
 According to the American Heart Association (AMA), lifestyle changes, such as adequate dietary therapy, regular physical activity and weight loss may lower cholesterol levels and reduce an individual’s risk of heart disease and stroke. However, for some individuals, this is not enough, so health care providers often prescribe medications that lower cholesterol. Although, some people opt to try holistic elements first. In fact, some holistic elements, such as Plant Sterols, have shown some excellent results in clinical studies.
Nevertheless, there are many kinds of medications that may be prescribed to lower cholesterol levels - each one working on a different aspect of the cholesterol issue. For instance, there are selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors, Statins and Fibrates. However, Bile Acid Sequestrants is a cholesterol-lowering medication, which has achieved some popularity with both health care providers and individuals. They often have less severe side effects than the other medications mentioned above. Let’s take a look at how Bile Acid Sequestrants may work in the body to lower cholesterol levels.
|
| Medication at a Glance |
|
Bile Acid Sequestrants are used exclusively to lower levels of “bad’ cholesterol, and they may be used alone or in conjunction with other drugs. High cholesterol levels may increase an individual’s risk for heart attack and stroke, so it is a very serious issue. Bile Acid Sequestrants belong to a class of drugs known as bile acid-binding drugs. It is sold under many brand names, including: Cholestyramine (Questran®, Questran® Light, Prevalite®, Locholest®, Locholest® Light), Colestipol (Colestid®) and Colesevelam Hcl.
|
| Medication in Focus |
|
Bile Acid Sequestrants are said to lower cholesterol levels by working in the intestines, where they promote increased disposal of cholesterol. The body uses cholesterol for a wide variety of functions, and it could not run smoothly without it. In fact, it uses cholesterol to make bile, an acid that plays an integral role in the digestive process. Bile Acid Sequestrants actually bind to bile, creating a situation in which it can’t be used during the digestive process. The liver then responds by creating more bile to make up for the lost bile. This mechanism forces the liver to use more cholesterol to manufacture bile, effectively eating up the “bad” cholesterol, so that there is less of it left to circulate through the bloodstream.
|
| Lifestyle |
|
Bile Acid Sequestrants were created to stay in the digestive tract, so unlike statins, their side effects are localized to the gut. These side effects are almost exclusively limited to the gastrointestinal tract, and include issues such as constipation, diarrhea and flatulence. Also, some individuals have reported having a continuous bad taste in their mouth, which may be a problem in the gut.
People who use Bile Acid Sequestrants are often told to space out their other medications, because Bile Acid Sequestrants may actually bind these drugs when they enter the GI tract, thereby preventing their absorption into the bloodstream. Also, they may bind with fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K, thereby creating a vitamin deficiency, which is why vitamin supplementation is often recommended.
|
| Positives |
|
• May lower cholesterol
• May have less severe side effects than other medications
|
| Negatives |
|
• May cause gastrointestinal upset for some individuals
• Available by prescription, and must be monitored by a health care provider
|
| Final Thoughts |
|
Our findings show that some individuals prefer to use Bile Acid Sequestrants because of their limited side effects. However, it is important to remember that this class of medication is often used along with other cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as stains, as well as those that may raise a person’s level of good cholesterol. Our findings show that this approach may actually increase the potentiality for side effects in some individuals.
We have noticed that many individuals, prior to consenting to using these medications, will opt to try holistic cholesterol-lowering agents, some of which have been highly effective. In fact, Plant Sterols have shown great promise in lowering cholesterol levels, because their molecular make up resembles cholesterol, which means they compete with it for absorption in the gut. This creates a situation in which the Plant Sterols are absorbed, and the cholesterol is flushed out. In clinical studies, Plant Sterols have shown some excellent results – often lowering cholesterol levels by 20-40% in some people. This is on par with the results achieved with some medications.
|
|
|
|
| Our
Editors Top Choice: |
Week
of: Tue Sep 07th, 2010 |
|
CholesterClear®:
CholesterClear® -
Imagine lowering your Cholesterol levels while still being able to eat the foods you love. CholesterClear® is an awesome product which literally blocks the bad cholesterol from being absorbed by the body. It does this naturally and safely because it contains certified organic highly concentrated plant sterols which have been clinically proven to effectively block 42% of the cholesterol in your food from being digested. This substance has been approved by the FDA and American Medical Association as being effective in lowering and preventing high Cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels. With over 1200 published studies declaring it works, how can you go wrong with this? Prescriptions that fight Cholesterol levels also have some ugly negative side effects associated with them – so we recommend checking this product out because it has no side effects what-so-ever. Click Here to read our full review. |
|
|
|
|
|
