Lifestyle modifications are the first treatment for patients with hyperlipidemia, including smoking cessation, increasing aerobic exercise, and diet modification. If you are over 40 years old and do not have heart disease, your clinician will measure your future heart disease risk based on your cholesterol levels and use that to help decide if you need medication for treatment.
If medications are needed in addition to lifestyle changes, the most commonly prescribed medications are called statins. Statins reduce the amount of cholesterol your liver makes. There are other medications that can be prescribed for people who need more assistance in lowering their cholesterol.