Cardiovascular Drugs and Medications Q 47
Kylie is reviewing drugs related to cardiovascular therapies. She should be aware that the desired action of lipid-lowering agents is to:
A. Decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
B. Increase total cholesterol (TC).
C. Increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
D. Increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Correct Answer: D. Increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
The desired effect of lipid-lowering agents is to decrease cardiac risk by lowering TC, TG, and LDL and increasing or maintaining HDL. Although a change in lifestyle is often the method of the first choice for lipid-lowering, lipid-lowering drugs, in general, help to control elevated levels of different forms of lipids in patients with hyperlipidemia. While one group of drugs, statins, lowers cholesterol, the other group, fibrates, is known to take care of fatty acids and triglycerides.
Option A: Lipids are important biomolecules. Cholesterol, for example, is an essential component of the human cell membrane and a precursor for steroid hormones and bile acids. Triglycerides also play an important role in transferring energy from food into body cells. However, any biomolecule in excess is not good for human health.
Option B: The statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and, thereby, suppress cholesterol biosynthesis. Eventually, through the laboratory of Drs. Goldstein and Brown, these drugs emerged as the most effective means of reducing elevated levels of plasma cholesterol.
Option C: In contrast to statins, this group of drugs does not inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis. However, these drugs stimulate ?-oxidation of fatty acids mainly in peroxisomes and partly in mitochondria. Therefore, this group of drugs is known to lower plasma levels of fatty acid and triacylglycerol.