What does ezetimibe do?

What does ezetimibe do?

• A. Inhibits intestinal cholesterol absorption, lowering LDL and total cholesterol, used for hyperlipidaemia often with statins.
• B. Increases hepatic cholesterol production
• C. Inhibits HMG-CoA reductase
• D. Directly inhibits platelet aggregation

Answer: (A)

Ezetimibe lowers LDL by blocking cholesterol absorption in the intestine. It inhibits the NPC1L1 transporter on the intestinal lining, reducing the amount of dietary and biliary cholesterol that enters the liver. With less cholesterol reaching the liver, its cholesterol stores fall, which prompts more LDL receptors to pull LDL out of the bloodstream, lowering both LDL and total cholesterol. It’s commonly used for hyperlipidemia and is often added to a statin to enhance LDL reduction. This is different from statins, which inhibit HMG-CoA reductase to cut cholesterol synthesis, and it isn’t an antiplatelet agent, so it doesn’t directly affect platelet aggregation.

Ezetimibe lowers LDL by blocking cholesterol absorption in the intestine. It inhibits the NPC1L1 transporter on the intestinal lining, reducing the amount of dietary and biliary cholesterol that enters the liver. With less cholesterol reaching the liver, its cholesterol stores fall, which prompts more LDL receptors to pull LDL out of the bloodstream, lowering both LDL and total cholesterol. It’s commonly used for hyperlipidemia and is often added to a statin to enhance LDL reduction. This is different from statins, which inhibit HMG-CoA reductase to cut cholesterol synthesis, and it isn’t an antiplatelet agent, so it doesn’t directly affect platelet aggregation.