 | Joseph P. Galichia, MD is the founder and Medical Director of the Galichia Medical Group, PA. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of interventional cardiology. In the 70's, Dr. Galichia studied in Zurich, Switzerland with the inventors of the balloon angioplasty technique for treating heart disease. As a result of his experience, he was able to bring this historic technique back to the United States where he was one of the first physicians to perform coronary angioplasty here. A noted medical spokesman, he appears on a weekly Newstalk segment on KWCH Channel 12 and has a weekly syndicated radio talk show on KNSS 1330 AM every Saturday live from 11:00 am to noon. Dr. Galichia may be contacted by sending an e-mail to service@galichia.com |
Health & Medicine
2008-08-01 09:35:00
What is vytorin?
Question: I have been taking Vytorin as prescribed by my cardiologist, for my high cholesterol levels. I have had success with it, but now, I am a little worried about taking it. I saw on the news that the FDA was looking into the effectiveness and safety of the drug. Should I quit taking it?
Answer: Vytorin is a medication doctors commonly prescribe for lowering a patient’s cholesterol—especially the LDL (or “bad” cholesterol). Vytorin has been shown to lower these levels very well. However, a study performed on the drug, focusing on the carotid artery (the main artery in the neck), seemed to show that despite lowering the levels of cholesterol, Vytorin had little effect on plaque buildup in the artery.
My advice on any medication is to speak with your physician any time you have a question, particularly when a drug is being looked at in this way. I always caution my patients to keep taking medication until we have a chance to discuss it. Sometimes, stopping a medication outright can be dangerous, and your physician or health care provider can come up with a plan that’s right for you.
So far, if Vytorin is working for my patients, I am recommending that they stay on the medication. However, there are other alternatives that can be quite effective at lowering cholesterol and are at a lower price. Again, speak with your physician about any changes or concerns you might have in terms of this or any other medication. You may find other treatment alternatives.
