pravastatin
Meaning of pravastatin: Pravastatin lowers LDL cholesterol by blocking a liver enzyme central to cholesterol production, and is prescribed to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Definition of pravastatin
Pravastatin is a medication belonging to the statin class of drugs, used to lower elevated levels of cholesterol and related fats in the blood. It works by blocking HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme in the liver that carries out a key step in the body's own production of cholesterol.
By reducing the liver's cholesterol output, pravastatin lowers circulating LDL cholesterol, often described as the harmful form of cholesterol, and it is prescribed as part of an overall approach to reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with elevated cholesterol or existing cardiovascular disease.
Like other statins, pravastatin is taken as an ongoing daily medication rather than a short course, since its cholesterol lowering effect depends on continuous suppression of the liver enzyme it targets, and cholesterol levels are monitored periodically through blood testing during treatment.
Used in a sentence
Pravastatin was prescribed to help manage the patient's elevated cholesterol.
Good to know
Pravastatin and other statins lower cholesterol by acting on the liver's own production of it, which is distinct from medications or dietary approaches that instead reduce the absorption of cholesterol from food.