Advicor is a combination of
niacin extended-release and
lovastatin. Lovastatin is part of a class of drugs called
statins. It works by blocking a particular enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that controls the rate of
cholesterol production in the body. This causes the liver to make less cholesterol. It also increases the liver's ability to collect and get rid of
LDL cholesterol.
Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is also used as a cholesterol-lowering medicine. How niacin works is not completely understood. It probably works in several ways to improve
cholesterol levels. Niacin is believed to
increase HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) levels by preventing the liver from removing
HDL from the bloodstream. In addition, niacin seems to decrease the liver's production of LDL and
VLDL, two types of "bad" cholesterol. It also helps decrease the release of fatty acids (from body fat) into the bloodstream.
Because of the effects of lovastatin and niacin, Advicor decreases the following forms of cholesterol and fats:
It also increases HDL cholesterol.
Advicor as Part of Cholesterol Treatment
The main goal of any treatment plan for
high cholesterol is to lower your LDL cholesterol enough to reduce your risk of developing related problems
(see Effects of High Cholesterol). The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be.
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