The prescription medication Lopid is used, along with diet and exercise, to lower triglycerides and cholesterol in the body. In previous clinical studies, people who took Lopid 900-1600 mg were able to lower triglycerides by up to 50 percent and "bad cholesterol" by up to 20 percent, as well as increase "good cholesterol" by up to 35 percent. By reducing triglycerides and cholesterol, Lopid may also help prevent conditions like heart disease, chest pain, and a heart attack. Possible side effects of this drug include heartburn, diarrhea, and fatigue.

 

• Lowering triglycerides in patients with hypertriglyceridemia (high triglyceride levels). Very high triglyceride levels in the body increase the risk of developing a condition known as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

Lopid can actually cause an increase in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) for people with very high levels of triglycerides (greater than 400 mg/dL). Therefore, people who have this condition in addition to high LDL cholesterol should use Lopid with extreme caution or not at all.

• Reducing a person's risk of developing coronary heart disease if he or she has low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels in addition to high LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Lopid should be used only if you have already tried to lower your cholesterol (and raise HDL) with diet, exercise, and other cholesterol-lowering medications.
   

• Lowering cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). Lopid can reduce VLDL (very low density lipoprotein cholesterol), apo B (a component of cholesterol that is related to several heart disease risk factors), and, to a lesser extent, total cholesterol and LDL. Lopid also raises HDL.