Simcor is made by Abbott Laboratories.
Simcor is a combination of extended-release niacin and simvastatin.
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. 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.
Because of the effects of simvastatin and niacin, Simcor can help decrease the following "bad" forms of cholesterol and fats:
- Total cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Apo B cholesterol
- Non-HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides.
Simcor also increases HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol).