Cholesterol can be defined as a class of certain organic molecules. Cholesterol is a sterol or modified steroid; a type of lipid whose is biogenesis is done by all animal cells and is an important structural component of animal cell membranes. It’s a waxy substance present in your blood. Body needs cholesterol to develop healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can raise your risk of heart disease.With high cholesterol, one can develop fatty deposits in blood vessels. When such deposits break suddenly and form a clot, it results in a heart attack or stroke.High cholesterol can be genetic, but usually it is the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices that make it preventable and treatable. It can be reduced by balancing a healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication.It’s main cause is eating fatty food, avoiding exercising, sedentary life style, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. Since it’s genetic, it can also run in families.High cholesterol does not show symptoms. The only way to detect it is to have a blood test.
Ezetimibe is prescribed together with lifestyle changes (diet, weight-loss, exercise) to decrease the amount of cholesterol and other fatty substances in the blood. It can be prescribed alone or in combination with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin). Ezetimibe belongs to the class of medications called cholesterol-lowering medications. It acts by preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.
Ezetimibe is prescribed to treat high blood cholesterol and certain other lipid abnormalities. Usually it is taken together with dietary changes and a statin. It is an oral medication, available in the fixed combinations of ezetimibe / simvastatin, ezetimibe / atorvastatin, and ezetimibe / rosuvastatin.
The medication has some common adverse effects that include upper respiratory tract infections, joint pain, diarrheal, and tiredness. Serious side effects can cause anaphylaxis, liver problems, depression, and muscle breakdown. Itsuse in pregnancy and breastfeeding is of ambiguous safety. Ezetimibe acts by decreasing cholesterol absorption in the intestines.
A process called as atherosclerosis which causesbuildup of cholesterol and fats along the walls of the blood vessels decreases blood flow, which results in decreasing oxygen supply to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Decreasing blood levels of cholesterol and fats may help decrease this buildup and may decrease chances of developing heart conditions like angina (chest pain), strokes, and heart attacks. It is not concluded the reason behind the additional lowering of cholesterol levels in the blood did not resulted to a greater decline in cholesterol and fat buildup along the walls of the blood vessels in patients taking ezetimibe and simvastatin. Further studies are initiated to compare treatment with ezetimibe and simvastatin to treatment with simvastatin aloneso as toobserve if there is a difference in the risk of developing heart disease.
Moreover taking a cholesterol-lowering medication, making certain changes in daily habits can also lower blood cholesterol levels. Eating a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, exercise 30 minutes daily and lose weight in case of overweight can make wonders in balancing Cholesterol level.
Ezetimibe may cause side effects. Consulting a doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away is important. The symptoms include headachedizziness, diarrhea, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, joint pain.
Some side effects are serious. The following symptoms are not usual, but if experienced any of them, consult doctor immediately. The symptoms include hives, rash, itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, hoarseness, upset stomach,extreme tiredness, unusual bleeding or bruising, lack of energy, loss of appetite, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, yellowing of the skin or eyes, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain or weakness, fever, chills, pale or fatty stools, chest pain.
Reference
• “Ezetimibe: MedlinePlus Drug Information.” Medlineplus.gov, Jan. 2022, medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a603015.html.
• “Ezetimibe.” Drugs.com, Drugs.com, 2021, drugs.com/monograph/ezetimibe.html#.
• “High Cholesterol – Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 2021, mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/symptoms-causes/syc-20350800.
