Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD, names the question patients most often ask about cholesterol-lowering medication and the questions he thinks they should ask about their cholesterol goal and side effects.
Cholesterol-Lowering Medication: How Long, How Low, and Side Effects
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The most frequent patient question
How long they will stay on the medication is what patients ask most often, cardiologist Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD, tells Dr. Anton Titov, MD. Many expect it to work like an antibiotic for a sore throat: two weeks, then done.
Questions patients should ask
Patients on a cholesterol-lowering medication should ask how low their cholesterol level should go, Dr. Thompson says. That depends on risk: the riskier the patient, the lower the level. They should also ask what to do if side effects develop. Generally, he says, patients will not have an important side effect, although some look for a problem with just about every medication he gives them.
Full Transcript
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: Professor Thompson, what are the top two or three questions patients ask you? What are the questions patients should ask (but often don't)?
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: The biggest question that patients ask me is how long they are going to stay on the drug. A lot of patients think it is like being treated with an antibiotic. You are going to do it for two weeks for your sore throat or your urinary tract infection, and you are going to be done.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: That is the most important question. I think that is the most frequent question. I think the question that patients should ask once they are on a cholesterol-lowering drug is, 'How low should I get my cholesterol level?' That, of course, depends on how risky that patient is.
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: The riskier the patient, the lower you want to get the cholesterol level. I think the other question is, what should they do if they develop side effects? Will they have an important side effect that will interfere with their using the medication?
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD: Generally, patients will not, although some patients will look for a problem, and they look for a problem with just about every drug that I give them.