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Bile Acid Resins
Bile is the substance that the body uses to help digest fats. It is made in the liver, and stored in the gallbladder. When dietary fats reach the small intestine, the gallbladder squeezes bile into the small intestine to aid in the digestion and transport of these fats. Particles made up of bile and fat are reabsorbed by the small intestine, go into the blood, and travel directly to the liver where the bile is recycled. Bile acid resins absorb bile acid in the intestinal tract rather than let it be reabsorbed and reused by the body. This decrease in bile causes the liver to produce more bile.
Since the liver uses cholesterol to produce bile, bile acid resins reduce cholesterol levels in the blood stream.
Use of bile acid resins is a conservative approach to treating high cholesterol because the drug's action is limited to the intestinal tract. However, because they are known to be safe and have few side-effects, they are used to treat patients with moderately elevated LDL- cholesterol, in people who do not already have heart disease, and when drug therapy is necessary in young adult men and premenopausal women. They are also used in combination with other drugs (such as statins)to treat more severe forms of hypercholesterolemia.
Drugs in the class
Cholestyramine Powder for Suspension
(
Prevalite,
Questran,
Questran Light
)
Colesevelam Tablets
(
Welchol
)
Colestipol Tablets
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