Medications To Lower Triglycerides and Cholesterol Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch High Cholesterol 4 Ways to Lower Triglycerides and Prevent Heart Disease You can improve high triglyceride levels with supplements and medications to get down to a safer level. By Chris Iliades, MDMedically Reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPHReviewed: August 9, 2016Medically ReviewediStock; Everyday HealthHigh triglycerides, along with high total cholesterol levels, increase the likelihood that you will develop heart disease. If you have other risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease, or high blood pressure, your overall risk is even higher. Lowering triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol starts with making diet and lifestyle improvements, if needed. Lifestyle changes can include quitting smoking if you're a smoker, increasing your physical activity if you're inactive, and losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Diet changes may include limiting saturated fats (like butter, lard, and other animal fats), substituting heart-healthy plant fats (like olive oil), and adding healthier calories from vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber. Depending on whether these strategies will work for you, supplements or medications may also need to be part of your treatment plan. How to Lower Triglycerides Your doctor will determine if you need treatment to lowering triglycerides by talking with you about your current diet and lifestyle, and evaluating your triglyceride level, your LDL cholesterol level, and your potential risk factors for coronary heart disease. Here are some of the reasons your doctor might discuss medications to lower triglycerides with you:You have metabolic syndrome. This condition includes a combination of abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. If you have metabolic syndrome and tried diet and lifestyle changes for three months without success, triglyceride-lowering medications may be needed.Previous medication lowered your total cholesterol but not your triglycerides. If your cholesterol is well controlled, but your triglyceride level is still too high, at or above 200 mg/dL, triglyceride-lowering medications may help.You have very high triglycerides. If your triglyceride level is at or higher than 500 mg/dL, you may need to start medications to lower triglycerides even before reaching lower cholesterol levels. Supplements and Medications to Lower Triglycerides"Fish oil, in doses of 3.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day, can effectively lower triglycerides. Lower doses are ineffective," explains says Scott Shurmur, MD, cardiologist and professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine in Lubbock. When prescription medication is needed, lowering triglycerides usually starts with medication that lowers LDL cholesterol levels — many of the same medications used to lower cholesterol will also lower triglycerides.Statins are usually effective and well tolerated, and are the most commonly prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol. Examples include Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), and Mevacor (lovastatin). Severe side effects that last are rare, but side effects may include forgetfulness, abdominal pain, constipation, and muscle aches. You shouldn't take one of these medications if you are pregnant or have active liver disease. Statins may interact with other drugs, including antibiotics and antivirals, so be sure to discuss all your medications (and supplements) with your doctor.Niacin (nicotinic acid) comes as a prescription or a dietary supplement, and can help lower triglycerides. However, dietary supplements are not regulated and should not be substituted for a prescription from your doctor. Side effects may include itching, skin flushing, dizziness, muscle pain, and stomach upset. You may not be able to take niacin if you have diabetes, peptic ulcer, gout, or liver disease. "Niacin has some triglyceride lowering ability, but also can make blood sugar control worse," says Dr. Shurmur.Fibrates like Tricor (fenofibrate) are used specifically to lower triglyceride levels. Side effects include stomach upset, gallstones, and muscle aches. You should not take fibrates if you have kidney disease or severe liver disease. Some diabetes medications, Actos (pioglitazone), for example, will also lower triglycerides, says Shurmur. However, this drug may cause or worsen congestive heart failure, warns the FDA. The best way to check for high triglycerides is to have your doctor do a lipid profile blood test. If you are over age 20, you should have your lipid profile checked at least every five years, and more frequently if you have other risk factors like a family history of heart disease. The sooner you find out about your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, the sooner you can start to get them under control and lowering your risk for coronary heart disease. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Heart Health Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in High Cholesterol Taking a Holistic Approach Might Be Key to Managing High Cholesterol After years of trying to manage cholesterol with statins, Nyarumba Nota found a doctor who understands the importance of a multifaceted approach. 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