For several years people have been taking cholesterol drugs as a means to lower high cholesterol levels. The most frequently prescribed class of cholesterol drugs are the statins, also known as lipid lowering medications.However they are known to have some quite serious side effects, such as causing liver function abnormalities. Statins currently available on the US market include : Lipitor (atorvastatin) made by Pfizer, Zocor (simvastatin) made by Merck, Pravachol (pravastatin) made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lescol (fluvastatin) made by Novartis, Mevacor (lovastatin) made by Merck, and Crestor (rosuvastatin) made by AstraZeneca.

The latest cholesterol drugs that are soon to come on the market, are the CETP inhibitors. These new drugs have a different action as based on the latest scientific discoveries, it is now known that not all cholesterol is unhealthy. There are several types of cholesterol, including LDL bad cholesterol and HDL good cholesterol. The CETP Inhibitors work to also raise the hdl cholesterol levels which have been proven in themselves to aid in lowering levels of the ldl cholesterol.

There are however a large number of alternative cholesterol lowering drugs and supplements to your diet that you can take. Natural alternatives that do not pose such a risk, although of course any medication you take you should always check with your doctor first. You can lower cholesterol naturally by taking herbal remedies such as Guggul, Pantethine, Curcumin, Policosanol, and Beta-Sitosterol.These supplements are easily available and low cost compared to prescribed drugs.Of course there are also many lifestyle changes that can be made to lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Regular exercise and eating a diet for lowering cholesterol can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease. As they say, prevention is better than cure.