🍽️ Cholestyramine,Colesevelam,Colestipol {Bile Acid Sequestrant}

Lowering Cholesterol Levels: Bile acid sequestrants are effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, also known as "bad" cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. By binding to bile acids in the intestine, bile acid sequestrants prevent their reabsorption, leading to increased bile acid excretion in the feces and decreased bile acid pool size. As a compensatory mechanism, the liver utilizes circulating cholesterol to synthesize new bile acids, thereby reducing LDL-C levels in the blood.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction: Lowering LDL-C levels with bile acid sequestrants has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease. By lowering cholesterol levels, bile acid sequestrants help slow the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) and decrease the likelihood of plaque formation and rupture, which can lead to cardiovascular events.

Treatment of Hyperlipidemia: Bile acid sequestrants are indicated for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, including heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and primary hyperlipidemia, particularly in patients who cannot tolerate or do not respond adequately to statin therapy. Bile acid sequestrants may be used as monotherapy or in combination with other cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, ezetimibe, or fibrates, to achieve target LDL-C levels and reduce cardiovascular risk.

Gastrointestinal Side Effects: Bile acid sequestrants may cause gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, bloating, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, and dyspepsia due to their physical binding action in the intestine. These side effects are dose-dependent and may vary among individual patients. Patients should be advised to increase dietary fiber intake, maintain adequate hydration, and engage in regular physical activity to help alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms associated with bile acid sequestrant therapy.

Drug Interactions: Bile acid sequestrants may interact with other medications, including oral medications, by interfering with their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. To minimize the risk of drug interactions, bile acid sequestrants should be administered at least 1 hour before or 4 hours after other medications, including vitamins, minerals, and fat-soluble medications such as warfarin, digoxin, thyroid hormones, and certain antiepileptic drugs.

Nutrient Absorption: Bile acid sequestrants may impair the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and other nutrients from the intestine due to their binding action on bile acids. Patients receiving long-term bile acid sequestrant therapy should be monitored for nutritional deficiencies and may require supplementation with fat-soluble vitamins or other nutrients as needed.