New Cholesterol Medication Treats Cholesterol - Good and Bad - in a Single Pill

(ARA) - There's more to managing cholesterol than just lowering your LDL. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 80 million American adults have high LDL "bad" cholesterol, and more than 44 million Americans, or one in six, have low levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol the body uses like a broom to sweep the bad cholesterol from the blood.

"Managing cholesterol involves many things, not just lowering LDL. There is a serious need for medicines that both raise "good" cholesterol and lower the "bad" components of cholesterol," says Christie Ballantyne, M.D., Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Abbott's SIMCOR, a combination of two widely prescribed cholesterol therapies, Niaspan (Abbott's proprietary niacin extended-release) and simvastatin, in a single pill. When used along with diet, SIMCOR treats "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and "good" cholesterol (HDL) when treatment with Niaspan or simvastatin monotherapies is considered inadequate.

"SIMCOR represents a new option to help patients reach their treatment goals and target all their cholesterol levels," says Ballantyne.

More than 105 million Americans have total blood cholesterol levels at or above 200 mg/dL, which is considered high. Statin therapy, which has primarily been used to lower "bad" cholesterol, is an important treatment option, but many patients may need additional lipid treatments to help them reach their treatment goals. In order to manage all of your cholesterol levels you need to learn your numbers first.

This is why it's important to know all of your cholesterol levels and talk with your doctor about how to manage them. Start by getting your cholesterol checked today.

For more information on SIMCOR and other treatment options, talk to your doctor or visit www.abbott.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent