Care Guides - Drug treatments: Cholesterol absorption inhibitors

Return to Index Step 1: The Dangers of High Cholesterol Step 2: Types of Cholesterol Step 3: What Causes High Cholesterol?Step 4: Symptoms of High Cholesterol Step 5: Cholesterol Screening and Testing Step 6: Maintain Healthy Habits Step 7: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Step 8: You and Your Doctor are a Team Keypoints Glossary

*Close Menu*

Drug treatments: Cholesterol absorption inhibitors

Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract normally absorbs cholesterol, which comes from food in your diet and from bile made by your liver. Drugs in this category block the absorption of cholesterol in your GI tract.

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors can be used alone or in combination with statins. Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a cholesterol absorption inhibitor currently on the market in the U.S. Like all cholesterol medications, it must be used in addition to, not instead of, dietary changes. Ezetimibe reduces total and LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 10 - 20%. When used in combination with statins, a greater percentage of people are able to lower their cholesterol and reach their treatment goals than when statins are used alone.

Ezetimibe should be used only after all other cholesterol-lowering drugs have failed.

Ezetimibe cannot be used if you have liver disease, or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Side Effects

Potential side effects include joint and back pain, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and cough.

Drug Interactions

Ezetimibe should not be taken with fibrates (another class of cholesterol lowering medication). If you are also taking bile acid sequestrants to lower your cholesterol, you should take that drug either 2 hours before or 4 hours after ezetimibe.

Review Date: 12/31/2012
Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, FACC Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College; Private Practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease in Greenwich, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.