Drug class · Digestive

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors

Also known as: Cholesterol absorption blockers

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors are medicines that lower cholesterol by partly blocking its absorption in the small intestine. They are used on their own when a statin cannot be taken or has not worked, or alongside a statin.

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Biological target
Cholesterol absorption in the small intestine.
Also called
Cholesterol absorption blockers

Mechanism of action

Heart UK says ezetimibe partly blocks the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine. Research reviews describe it as acting on a protein called NPC1L1 in the lining of the small intestine, which helps move cholesterol from the gut into the body. Heart UK says ezetimibe works in a different way from statins, and that the two are often combined because their effects add up.

Members of the class

ezetimibe

Members with a page on this site are linked.

Conditions treated

Coronary artery diseaseHeart attack (myocardial infarction)Stroke

Class effects

  • Stomach pain, diarrhoea, extra wind and tiredness.
  • With a statin: muscle pain, headaches and moderately raised liver enzymes.

Cautions

  • Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness or weakness, or yellowing of the skin or eyes, needs a doctor or NHS 111 straight away, according to the NHS.
  • The NHS asks people to tell their doctor about pregnancy, planning a pregnancy, breastfeeding and liver problems.
  • The NHS lists other cholesterol-lowering medicines such as bezafibrate and colestyramine as medicines to mention to a doctor, and UK product information advises caution with ciclosporin.

Class interactions

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Connected pages in detail

What each linked page on Anatomy Nexus covers, in a line, for Cholesterol absorption inhibitors.

Conditions

  • Coronary artery disease Narrowing of the coronary arteries by fatty plaque (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow to the heart muscle.
  • Heart attack (myocardial infarction) Death of heart muscle because a coronary artery is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot forming on a ruptured plaque.
  • Stroke Sudden loss of brain function because blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, by a blocked artery (ischaemic.

Medications

  • Ezetimibe Ezetimibe is a prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicine that works by reducing how much cholesterol the gut absorbs.
Educational content. A drug class page describes what a family of medicines has in common. Individual medicines differ in dose, licensing and interactions; treatment choices belong to a prescriber.