Question: What are Fibric acid derivatives? Name some of these drugs. How do fibric acid derivatives lower cholesterol? Are there any problems with these drugs?
Fibrates Mechanism of Action
They are a class of drugs that interfere with the body’s ability to make cholesterol in the liver. They are also known as fibrates. They are cholesterol and triglyceride lowering drugs that have been around from nineteen sixties. They seemed to have fewer side effects than bile acid resins and nicotinic acid (the other two contenders at the time) and so were initially prescribed with enthutiasm.
Clofibrate and Gemfibrozil Side Effects
Clofibrate (Atromid-S), gemifibrozil (Lopid), ciprofibrate (Modalim), fenofibrate (Lipantil Micro) and bezafibrate (Bezalid Mono) are some of the fibrates list that are available. They are known to work in the liver, but the way they work is not well understood. They increase the livers ability to break down VLDL cholesterol, which drops triglyceride levels. And they raise HDL cholesterol levels slightly.
It is true that these drugs showed reduction in the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attacks in two large studies of people with no signs of heart attack.