An ounce of prevention. Drugs used to treat hyperlipidemia (Part 2)

For more than a century, coronary heart disease (CHD) has been the number one cause of death in the United States. Today, we know that although treatment of CHD may reduce some of those deaths, it is the prevention that is the real answer to eliminating this national scourge. The key to prevention lies in identifying those persons who are at risk for developing CHD and reducing the primary risk factor--hyperlipidemia. Preventing or controlling hyperlipidemia involves therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) and antilipidemic medications. In part 1, two useful medications--niacin and fibric acid derivatives--were discussed; in this second section, three other classes of drugs used as antilipidemics--bile-acid binding resins, the newer intestinal sterol absorption inhibitors and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (the statins)--are reviewed. Knowledgeable nurses will be able to help educate patients about these drugs and their importance in preventing or controlling hyperlipidemia.