Cholesterol lowering drugs have become quite the sensation in recent years do the a massive and ongoing advertising campaigns touting their benefits. You know the ones, with sail boats, sparkling ocean views, and music playing in the background along with that disclaimer at the end about liver damage. But what’s a little liver damage when you are having so much fun on the beach anyway!

All humor aside, cholesterol lowering drugs do lower cholesterol. They group includes statins, bile acid sequestrants, niacin (nicotinic acid), and fabric acid derivatives. In this article about cholesterol lowering drugs we will be focusing on statins, since they are considered the latest and greatest by most medical professionals.

Do you recognize any of these names: Zocor, Crestor, Advicor, Caduet, Vytorin. Or perhaps these generic names: Simvastatin, Rosuvastatin, Lovastatin, and Atorvastatin. All of the above are either brand name statins or generic statins. You probably recognized the first couple of names anyway and it probably gets a little fuzzy after that.

These drug work by interfering with the manufacture of cholesterol in the body, blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase that is needed by the body to create cholesterol. Less cholesterol in the body encourages the liver to remove LDL cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus lowering the risk of clogged blood vessels and heart disease. Wow, the cholesterol problem solved! Well, not exactly. The problem with statins is not that they don’t work, it is that they may work a little bit too well.

What most people don’t know about cholesterol is that the body needs at least some cholesterol to maintain good health. It is essential for hormone production, an important component for cell health, and plays a role in healthy brain function. The reason statin drugs work so well is that interrupt the natural harmony of cholesterol production. Additionally, statin cholesterol lowering drugs interfere with the production of an antioxidant known as coenzyme Q10, which is essential for normal function of the muscles, including the heart muscle. The concerns with coenzyme Q10 are well documented and have been known since the introduction of statin cholesterol lowering drugs.

There is no arguing that statins work, but at what cost. Instead of lowering cholesterol obsessively, perhaps a more logical goal should be to balance your cholesterol by increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL) though more natural means. Reducing saturated fat consumption, along with a doctor supervised exercise program would be a good place to start. If you smoke kicking the habit will help. Also, many natural health minded individuals have found a combination of the steps above along with natural cholesterol reducing remedies to be an option as well.

In summary, cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins will be the right approach for some. For others implementing alternative methods along with natural cholesterol reducing remedies to achieve heart healthy cholesterol levels first, before considering hard to manage statin medications, will make more sense. It is always a good idea to work with your doctor to find the best treatment approach for your unique situation.