Caption

Cholesterol-lowering drug. Hands holding a blister pack and pills of the drug Simvastatin. This drug reduces the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol (hypercholesterolaemia) are a major cause of heart disease and strokes. It works by blocking the effects of the body enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which normally causes the body to produce LDL cholesterol from foods. Simvastatin & other similar drugs (known as statins) have also been reported to increase bone density. This means that they could potentially be used as a treatment for osteoporosis (brittle bones), which affects many women after the menopause.