Cholesterol medications

Modified on Thu, Feb 16, 2023 at 11:00 AM

Drug Name	Drug Class	Indication	Route of Administration	Side Effects	Pregnancy Category
Fenofibrate	Fibric Acid Derivative	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea	C
Omega-3 fatty acids	Fish Oil Derivative	Hypertriglyceridemia	Oral	Fishy aftertaste, gastrointestinal disturbances, headache	C
Alirocumab	PCSK9 Inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Subcutaneous Injection	Injection site reactions, flu-like symptoms	C
Evolocumab	PCSK9 Inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Subcutaneous Injection	Injection site reactions, flu-like symptoms	C
Lomitapide	Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein Inhibitor	Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting	X
Mipomersen	Antisense Oligonucleotide	Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia	Subcutaneous Injection	Injection site reactions, flu-like symptoms	B

Drug Name	Drug Class	Indication	Route of Administration	Side Effects	Pregnancy Category
Atorvastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Muscle pain, headache, and abdominal pain	X
Rosuvastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Muscle pain, headache, and abdominal pain	X
Simvastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Muscle pain, headache, and abdominal pain	X
Pravastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and muscle pain	X
Fluvastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and muscle pain	X
Lovastatin	HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and muscle pain	X
Colesevelam	Bile Acid Sequestrant	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Constipation, nausea, and indigestion	B
Ezetimibe	Cholesterol absorption inhibitor	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain	C
Gemfibrozil	Fibric Acid Derivative	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea	X
Niacin	Vitamin B3	Hypercholesterolemia	Oral	Flushing, itching, and gastrointestinal disturbances	X

Please note that there are many other cholesterol medications available for a variety of indications and that this list is not exhaustive. Additionally, because they are subject to change as new research becomes available, the categories for side effects and pregnancy listed here may not be current. Before taking any medication, it's crucial to speak with a healthcare provider.