Question

Mrs. Landon has been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Her cholesterol level is high, and the physician advised her to get more exercise and follow a low-fat diet. At her follow up appointment, however, the physician test her cholesterol is unacceptably high. Which of the following medications might you expect the physician to prescribe to help lower her cholesterol?

Answer 1

Given Mrs. Landon's high cholesterol levels, her physician may prescribe statins, such as Atorvastatin or Rosuvastatin, which are effective at reducing blood cholesterol and the risk of coronary artery disease.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physician may prescribe statins, such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor) or Rosuvastatin (Crestor), to help lower Mrs. Landon's cholesterol levels. Statins are medications that reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and are commonly used to treat coronary artery disease. In circumstances where cholesterol levels remain high despite lifestyle changes, the utilization of these medications can significantly reduce the risk associated with high cholesterol, such as atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular events.

High cholesterol can be due to an unhealthy lifestyle, including consumption of saturated and trans fats, inadequate physical activity, and smoking. Statins work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a crucial role in the production of cholesterol in the liver, thereby decreasing the liver's production of cholesterol and increasing the removal of LDL (bad) cholesterol from the blood. If lifestyle modifications, like diet and exercise, are insufficient in lowering cholesterol, statins are the next line of treatment.