What Is Lovastatin Used For?

Lovastatin Medicine

How Does Lovastatin Work?

Lovastatin is part of a class of drugs called statins. Lovastatin 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 and increases its ability to collect and get rid of LDL cholesterol.

Because of the effects of lovastatin, the following forms of cholesterol and fats are decreased:

Total cholesterol
LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
Triglycerides.

Lovastatin also increases HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

Lovastatin as One Part of Cholesterol Treatment

The main goal of any high cholesterol treatment is to lower your LDL cholesterol enough to reduce your risk for developing problems related to high cholesterol (see Effects of High Cholesterol). The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be.

(Click High Cholesterol Risk to see a list of risk factors that may affect your cholesterol level and a list of ideal LDL cholesterol levels.)

Any cholesterol treatment begins with lifestyle changes (weight loss, low-cholesterol diet, and exercise). If lifestyle changes are not effective in lowering cholesterol to a good level, cholesterol medication, such as lovastatin, may be necessary.

Is Lovastatin Used for Children?

Lovastatin has been approved to treat high cholesterol in children ages 10 to 17 with a certain genetic condition known as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. For adolescent girls, lovastatin is approved to be started one year after their first period (but no sooner).

(What Is Lovastatin Used For? Continued: Page 3)
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