Let's face it, you could be one of the millions of Americans confronting the dangers of high cholesterol and the serious health challenges that excessive cholesterol brings.

Left untreated, high cholesterol can be the factor that causes a heart attack or stroke that either takes your life, or leaves you severely impaired causing negative life changes that affect you and your family, perhaps for decades. The good news is there are options for fighting high levels of bad cholesterol that may save your life.

What type of cholesterol medications are out there?

High cholesterol medications have been on the market for many years now and are referred to as statin drugs. Bad cholesterol known as high density lipoprotein has been a topicproper health care since the early seventies. The medical community became more and more focused on the correlation between what Americans were eating in their diet and the increase in heart disease and occurrence of strokes.

Treatment options for treating high (LDL) vary from brand name high cholesterol medications, such as Crestor and Lipitor, to all natural fish oil supplements. The medical community in the Unites states has accepted these drugs as the standard regimen for combating bad cholesterol.

As the medical community has studied the results of treating the causes of heart disease, more and more doctors are augmenting statins with fish oil supplements that contain powerful ingredients for reducing serum cholesterol as a whole, and particularly the most destructive; low density lipoprotein (LDL).

The results of statin drugs may surprise you

Though statin drugs have proven mostly effective in reducing bad cholesterol, high cholesterol medications have been shown to be a double- edged sword, when it comes to preventing bad cholesterol while causing other potential health problems.

Because the number of patients that need high cholesterol medications is increasing yearly, yet more side effects are also presenting potential problems, the use of fish oil supplements containing high levels of EPA and DHA fatty acids are being more frequently prescribed by doctors while lowering the dosage of statins simultaneously.

According to research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, high cholesterol medications have potential side effects that include, liver damage, damage and pain to muscles, and possible digestive problems. It's common practice for prescribing physicians to require patients to have periodic blood tests to determine if any of these side effects are occurring.

Not everyone who is prescribed high cholesterol medications will incur problems. Those that are more susceptible include anyone suffering from type one or two diabetes, kidney disease, or those over the age of sixty- five according to the Mayo Clinic studies.

The case for fish oil supplements

Because of the natural ingredients of fish oil supplements, doctors are including these supplements containing the omega 3 fatty acids to the mix of therapies to increase higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and combat the bad cholesterol (LDL).

Fish oil supplements have been clinically proven to help reduce cholesterol in addition to providing many other health benefits. Added benefits include the all natural qualities of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acids found in cold water fish. There is no abrasive reaction to the liver that is sometimes manifested from high cholesterol medications.

Conclusion

Now that you have heard the facts, talk to your doctor about the correct quantities of natural fish oil supplements in combination with high cholesterol medications. Remember; think like a good consumer, after all, it's your health we are talking about. Here is to your good health!

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

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