Zetia® is used to reduce the amount of cholesterol that the body absorbs from dietary sources. It is used to address high cholesterol, along with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, as well as exercise and weight loss. It may be used alone or in conjunction with other cholesterol-lowering medications, which has become an issue fraught with controversy.

In the realm of cholesterol-lowering medications, Zetia® is one of the newer drugs currently available. Zetia® is said to work differently than other commonly prescribed medications, such as Statins, which work directly in the liver to inhibit the liver enzymes that are used to create and process cholesterol. However, Zetia® is often used with Statins, which has become a controversial issue, because this combination has been linked to having a potentiality for causing liver damage when used long term.

Zetia® was initially thought to only work in the intestines to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, by inhibiting cells in the lining of the intestines from absorbing cholesterol. But recently, it has also been found to work in the liver as well. At Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., it was found that Zetia® also works in the liver, which plays a vital role in health and cholesterol production. Zetia® targets a protein called NPC1L1, in both the liver and the intestines. This protein is said to transport cholesterol into the body's cells, so by inhibiting this protein, Zetia® prevents absorption of cholesterol.

Initially, the only side effects associated with Zetia® were abdominal pain, back pain, diarrhea, joint pain and sinusitis. However, over time, other side effects came to light, perhaps somewhat due to its interaction with the liver. Recently, new evidence has started to emerge that suggests Zetia® may cause liver damage and problems in some individuals.

In fact, the New York Times reported in 2007 that “New evidence shows that the drug makers Merck and Schering-Plough have conducted several studies of their popular cholesterol medicine Zetia® that raise questions about its risks to the liver, but the companies have never published those results”.

While the information we see on TV commercials and other venues where Zetia® is advertised tend to downplay its possible side effects, they are very real. In fact, our findings show that a few individuals who have used Zetia® have developed hepatitis and other liver diseases. Also, another clinical study, called Enhance, conducted by Zetia®’s developer, contained important information about Zetia®’s potential liver risks. In fact, according to our findings, during the course of this study, some individuals were dropped due to elevated liver enzymes, which we find a troubling development.

• May lower cholesterol levels

• Said to have many potential side effects for some people
• Has been shown to have a potentiality to negatively affect liver health
• Other serious possible side effects some individuals may experience include chest pain, stomach pain, low fever and jaundice of the skin or eyes

Liver and muscle damage are often associated with some cholesterol-lowering medications, so the fact that Zetia® was initially thought to not affect the liver, and was limited to inhibiting cholesterol in the intestines, was the big draw for its use with many health care providers and individuals. As noted earlier, Zetia® is now believed to also affect cholesterol production in the liver, as well as the intestines. It is becoming increasingly clear that Zetia® may have some potentiality for causing liver damage, as well as having other side effects for some.

For this reason, many individuals have started looking for natural alternatives to cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as Zetia®. Interestingly, Plant Sterols have been shown to work in the intestines and digestive tract to inhibit the absorption of cholesterol into the body from dietary sources. Plant Sterols actually look like cholesterol on a cellular level, so they are absorbed by the body instead, allowing the cholesterol to be flushed out of the body.

Studies have shown that the results achieved with Plant Sterols are in a similar range as cholesterol-lowering medications. These studies have also shown that Plant Sterols do not have any side effects for most individuals, nor do they negatively impact the liver in any way.