Actions You Can Take
What to do if you have high cholesterol?
You may not experience any symptoms if your cholesterol is high. The only way to know your cholesterol level is by consulting your healthcare provider and getting your blood test done as quickly as possible.
If your blood test reveals you have high cholesterol, you should incorporate the following steps into your daily lifestyle.
Exercise
Previously, there was no concrete evidence to support the positive impact of exercise on reducing your body's cholesterol levels. Recently, researchers have started getting some clarity on the correlation between the two.
Researchers believe that exercise helps to stimulate and/or raise levels of certain enzymes in our body responsible for moving LDL-C (also known as "bad cholesterol") from our blood back to our liver. The liver then converts this cholesterol into bile (for digestion) or excretes it out of your body as waste. Therefore, exercise is a tool you can use to help remove LDL-C from your body.
Healthy Diet
Food choices play a vital role in determining your health.
Foods high in saturated or trans fats may seem far too delicious and tempting to resist. However, in the long run, your taste buds could lead you on a higher cholesterol journey, which you might not be willing to take.
Here are some tips to improve your overall diet:
- Reduce your saturated fat intake
Red meat and other full-fat dairy products are some of the most common saturated fat sources. These food sources can result in increasing the total cholesterol in your body.
- Eliminate trans fat from your diet
Trans fat is also known as 'partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.' Some of the commonly used trans fat food sources around us are cookies, cakes, and crackers bought from stores. Trans fat can also elevate the total cholesterol in your body.
Medication
Sometimes diet and exercise are not enough to manage your cholesterol levels. Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults have high cholesterol; that's 71 million Americans!1
Statins are the first line of defence doctors use to help manage high cholesterol.
Statins are a medication that helps lower your LDL-C (bad cholesterol), reduce triglycerides and increase HDL-C (good cholesterol) levels.
After analyzing your blood report and examining your medical history, your doctor will let you know whether you need a statin or not. Always consult your doctor before taking any medication.
1 CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. United States, 1999-2002 and 2005-2008. MMWR. 2011;60(4):109-14
A Heart For Life | Follow us on Facebook!IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets
What is ZYPITAMAG?
ZYPITAMAG is a cholesterol-lowering medication called a "statin" that, along with a heart-healthy diet, helps to lower "bad" cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with elevated cholesterol levels.
Who should NOT take ZYPITAMAG?
ZYPITAMAG is not right for everyone. Do not take ZYPITAMAG if:
- You have a known allergy to ZYPITAMAG or any of its ingredients.
- You have active liver problems.
- You are currently taking cyclosporine or gemfibrozil.
What is the most important information I should know and talk to my doctor about?
- Call your healthcare provider or get help right away if you experience any symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as rash, itching, or hives.
- Muscle problems may be an early sign of rare, serious conditions. Tell your doctor right away if you have any unexplained muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, particularly if accompanied by malaise or fever, or if these muscle signs or symptoms persist after discontinuing ZYPITAMAG.
- Serious liver problems have been reported rarely in patients taking statins, including pitavastatin. Your doctor should do liver tests before you start, and if you have symptoms of liver problems while you are taking ZYPITAMAG. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you feel more tired than usual, have a loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark-colored urine, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
- Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications you take including nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
- Increases in blood sugar levels have been reported with statins, including pitavastatin.
- Tell your doctor about your alcohol use.
- Tell your healthcare provider of a known or suspected pregnancy, or if breastfeeding.
What are the most common side effects of ZYPITAMAG?
The most common side effects of pitavastatin in clinical studies were:
- Muscle pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Back pain
- Pain in arms or legs
This is not a complete list of side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of all drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store and take ZYPITAMAG?
- Store ZYPITAMAG tablets at room temperature, in a dry place, protected from light, and keep out of the reach of children.
- Take ZYPITAMAG orally once daily, with or without food, at the same time each day.
- Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush, dissolve, or chew.
- The maximum recommended dosage is ZYPITAMAG 4 mg once daily.
- If you take too much ZYPITAMAG or you or someone else takes an overdose, call your doctor and/or local Poison Control Center.
Other important information I should know about ZYPITAMAG.
- ZYPITAMAG is available by prescription only.
- ZYPITAMAG is not approved for use in patients under 18 years of age.
For additional information, refer to full Prescribing Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
