Question

You have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, so your physician prescribes statins. These drugs lower your cholesterol by

a. Inhibiting an enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol
b. Activating an enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol
c. Sending cholesterol to the liver to be removed from the blood
d. Sending cholesterol to the cells to be removed from the blood

Answer 1

Statins lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme essential for cholesterol synthesis, which subsequently reduces blood cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary artery disease.

Step-by-step explanation:

The prescribed drugs known as statins work to lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme is crucial for the synthesis of cholesterol from lipids within the body. Therefore, when statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the synthesis of cholesterol is significantly reduced, thereby lowering the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Statins, such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and Rosuvastatin (Crestor), are commonly used to minimize the risk of coronary artery disease associated with high cholesterol levels.