Home Medicine Cabinet Guide for Hyperlipidemia: Types and Selection of Commonly Used Lipid-Lowering Medications

Home care kit for patients with hyperlipidemia:

1. Commonly used lipid-lowering drugs:

(1) Bile acid sequestrants: Cholestyramine (trade name: Cholestyramine); Colestipol (trade name: Cholestyramine).

(2) Nicotinic acid and its derivatives: Nicotinic acid, Nicotinic acid inositol ester, Acilimex (trade name: Oxymethasone).

(3) Statins: Lovastatin (trade name: Mevacor (imported), domestic brands: Lovastatin, Lovastatin, Lovastatin); Simvastatin (trade name: Simvastatin (imported), domestic brands: Simvastatin, Simvastatin; Pravastatin (trade name: Pravastatin); Fluvastatin (trade name: Lesco); Atastatin (trade name: Lipitor (imported), domestic brand: Ale; Cerivastatin (trade name: Cerivastatin).

(4) Fibrates: Clofibrate (trade name: Atorvastatin); Bezafibrate (trade name: Bismuth subcitrate); Etridiazole (trade name: Tetiazem); Fenofibrate (trade name: Lipingzhi or Lipingzhi); Gemfibrozil (trade name: Norheng).

(5) Fish oil preparations: Polyene Kang capsules, Pulex Kang, Fish Oil Enzyme Kang.

(6) Modern Chinese medicine: Xuezhikang (main ingredient: lovastatin).

(7) Others: Elastase, Probucol (trade name: Probucol).

2. Types of cholesterol-lowering drugs:

(1) Bile acid sequestrants: These prevent the absorption of bile acids or cholesterol from the intestines, promote the excretion of bile acids or cholesterol in feces, and promote cholesterol degradation.

This class of drugs is suitable for any type of hypercholesterolemia except homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. It is ineffective for any type of hypertriglyceridemia. Side effects are mainly poor taste and constipation.

(2) Probucol: Suitable for general hypercholesterolemia, and also for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Probucol also has the effect of inhibiting the formation and progression of atherosclerosis.

(3) Elastase: Suitable for patients with hypercholesterolemia other than homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Elastase has a weak ability to regulate blood lipids and has few side effects, especially suitable for some patients with mildly elevated serum total cholesterol levels.

3. Types of drugs that lower triglycerides:
Fish oil preparations: Only have a mild effect of lowering triglycerides and slightly increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, with no effect on total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Mainly suitable for patients with mild hypertriglyceridemia, but patients with bleeding tendencies should not use fish oil preparations.

4. What are the drugs that mainly lower cholesterol and triglycerides?

(1) Statins: Currently the most widely used class of lipid-lowering drugs in clinical practice. To date, millions of patients worldwide have taken statins, of which tens of thousands have taken them continuously for more than 2 years. These drugs have a cholesterol-lowering ability of 20%–30% and a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-lowering ability of 30%–35%.

(2) Xuezhikang: Xuezhikang is a modern Chinese medicine with a clearly defined main component, which is a natural statin (mainly lovastatin). It has the lipid-regulating function of statins, but its dosage is lower, and adverse reactions are milder and less common.

5. What are some drugs that mainly lower triglycerides and cholesterol?

(1) Niacin and its derivatives

Niacin: Applicable to any type of dyslipidemia except homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and type I hyperlipoproteinemia. It has many side effects, including facial flushing, itchy skin, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. It should be used with caution in patients with peptic ulcers, diabetes, hypertension, and liver dysfunction. It is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women.

Niacin inositol ester: Its indications are the same as niacin, but its lipid-regulating effect is not as strong as niacin, although its side effects are milder. Acipimox: Has a significant triglyceride-lowering effect with fewer side effects than niacin. Acipimox is a safe, effective, and well-tolerated lipid-lowering drug, especially suitable for diabetic patients with significantly elevated serum triglyceride levels, significantly low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and mildly elevated or normal total cholesterol.

(2) Fibrates: These are the most effective triglyceride-lowering drugs. Suitable for any type of dyslipidemia except homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and type I hyperlipoproteinemia. Contraindicated in patients with impaired liver or kidney function, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and women of childbearing potential. Patients taking anticoagulants concurrently should pay attention to adjusting the dosage of their anticoagulants.