treatment > drugs...

Usually your doctor will impress upon you the importance of the above lifestyle changes whether or not he advises drug therapy as well. If you are successful at lowering your blood cholesterol levels with a diet and exercise regime then the level of medication you require will be lower, if you require it at all.

There are several different types of drugs which treat high cholesterol levels; statins are the main ones, and these work by limiting the production of cholesterol in the liver. Other types of drugs are cholesterol absorption inhibitors, nicotinic acid, bile acid sequestrants, and fibric acids. Each of these works in a different way according to the precise levels of HDL, LDL and triglycerides in your blood. They can be used singly or in combination.