This drug is usually prescribed after non-drug treatment options have not been fully successful at lowering cholesterol (e.g., diet change, increase in exercise, weight loss if overweight). |
 Once you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe a specific drug regimen. There are many common drugs prescribed for lowering cholesterol.Rosuvastatin is an enzyme blocker (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor), also known as a "statin." It is used along with a proper diet to help lower fats (triglycerides) and cholesterol in the blood. This drug is usually prescribed after non-drug treatment options have not been fully successful at lowering cholesterol (e.g., diet change, increase in exercise, weight loss if overweight). Reducing cholesterol and triglycerides help prevent strokes and heart attacks.Fenofibrate is used along with diet and exercise to help control levels of blood fats. It can help lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides and raise "good" cholesterol (HDL). In general, this drug is used after your blood fat levels have not been fully controlled by non-drug treatments (e.g., diet changes, exercise, decreasing alcohol intake, weight loss if overweight, and controlling blood sugar if diabetic).
Function
Cholesterol is required to build and maintain membranes; it regulates membrane fluidity over the range of physiological temperatures. Within the cell membrane, cholesterol also functions in intracellular transport, cell signaling and nerve conduction. Cholesterol is essential for the structure and function of invaginated caveolae and clathrin-coated pits, including caveola-dependent and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. The role of cholesterol in such endocytosis can be investigated by using methyl beta cyclodextrin (M?CD) to remove cholesterol from the plasma membrane. Recently, cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signaling processes, assisting in the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane.
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 In many neurons, a myelin sheath, rich in cholesterol, since it is derived from compacted layers of Schwann cell membrane, provides insulation for more efficient conduction of impulses.
Synthesis
About 20–25% of total daily cholesterol production occurs in the liver; other sites of high synthesis rates include the intestines, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. Synthesis within the body starts with one molecule of acetyl CoA and one molecule of acetoacetyl-CoA, which are dehydrated to form 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA). This molecule is then reduced to mevalonate by the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. This step is an irreversible step in cholesterol synthesis and is the site of action for the statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors).
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