Do cholesterol-lowering drugs need to be taken at night?

Not all cholesterol-lowering drugs need to be taken at night. The most common cholesterol-lowering drugs are statins, among which only Simvastatin needs to be taken at night. This is because the mechanism of action of statins is to inhibit cholesterol synthesis, which often occurs at night. Simvastatin has a shorter onset time and duration of action than other statins, so it is recommended to take it at night. If taken too early, the medication may not be effective during the peak cholesterol synthesis period. On the other hand, other long-acting cholesterol-lowering medications do not need to be taken at night and can be taken at a fixed time every day.

Here are some commonly used cholesterol-lowering medications:

Statins:

including atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, and others. Statins reduce the production of cholesterol by the liver and this causes the liver to absorb cholesterol from blood.

Bile-acid binding resins:

including cholestyramine, colesevelam, and colestipol. Bile-acid binding resins lower LDL cholesterol by combining with bile acids, preventing their intestinal reabsorption.

Ezetimibe:

It is a cholesterol absorption inhibitor that can block cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestines and lower cholesterol levels.

Fibrates:

including bezafibrate, fenofibrate and gemfibrozil. Fibrates reduce triglycerides and increase the level of HDL cholesterol in the blood. They are mainly used in patients with hypertriglyceridaemia.

Nicotinic acid:

It decreases LDL cholesterol whilst increasing HDL cholesterol levels in blood.

It is important to note that all these medications should be used according to a doctor's advice and prescription, and regular physical examinations should be carried out to confirm the efficacy and safety of the medications.