Lipitor Alternative

Since it first came on the market, the statin drug Lipitor has quickly become America's most popular means of combating high levels of harmful low-density lipid (LDL) cholesterol. This is not at all surprising, given this country's propensity for poor eating and under-average weekly exercise. Still, the huge sales of Lipitor--$10.4 billion in 2004 alone--have caused some third parties to sit up and take notice.

Lipitor, however, does have a number of downsides. First of all, it can be expensive, especially for patients already on a tight budget because of other prescriptions that need to be filled. In addition, Lipitor has a number of recorded side effects, some serious, some simply aggravating. This may cause many people to look for alternatives.

Lipitor is by no means the only statin drug on the market. To take only one example, the popular drug Zocor (a simvastatin with chemical properties very similar to Zocor's anstatin) has proven very effective in lowering LDL. Though somewhat less potent milligram for milligram, Zocor can be a good choice for people who want a cholesterol-lowering drug that isn't Lipitor.

For those who, for whatever reason, want to look for more natural alternatives, there are plenty of proven and still only speculative natural treatments out there. Many of these, such as cod-liver oil or vitamin E pills, have indeed helped lower cholesterol levels in many patients and come highly recommended from more organically minded doctors. Most of the time, however, these methods will be much less powerful (if somewhat safer) than statin drugs.