Lescol Update 3/1/12: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release today informing healthcare professionals of updates to the prescribing information concerning adverse interactions between protease inhibitors and certain statin medications. When these two types of drugs are taken together, they may raise the blood levels of statins and increase the risk of a severe muscle injury known as myopathy. Click here to learn more.
What’s the problem with Lescol?
Lescol belongs to a class of drugs known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, or ‘statins,‘ that work by reducing levels of ‘bad‘ cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) and triglycerides in the blood while simultaneously increasing levels of ‘good‘ cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL). First approved by the FDA in 1999, Lescol is prescribed to treat high cholesterol in adults and children who are over the age of 10. Lowering cholesterol levels can help prevent heart disease and hardening of the arteries, conditions that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease.
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