The medicine is a combination of extended-release
niacin and
simvastatin. Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is also used as a
cholesterol-lowering medicine. It is believed to work in several ways to improve
cholesterol levels. It is thought that niacin works to
increase HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) levels by preventing the liver from removing
HDL from the bloodstream. Additionally, niacin seems to decrease the liver's production of
LDL and
VLDL, two types of "bad" cholesterol. Niacin also helps decrease the release of fatty acids (from body fat) into the bloodstream.
Simvastatin 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.
(Click Simcor for more information on when and how to take Simcor oral tablets, to learn about the specific effects of this medication, and to find out what side effects may occur with treatment.)
