Description
Pravastatin belongs to the family of medications known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (“statins”). It is used in addition to diet and exercise to lower high cholesterol levels. Pravastatin works by blocking an enzyme that is needed to make cholesterol in the liver. Therefore, less cholesterol is made and levels of cholesterol in the blood decrease. Lowering cholesterol levels in the blood has been shown to reduce the risks associated with heart disease, such as heart attack.
Pravastatin can be used to reduce the risk of death, heart attacks, stroke, angioplasty, and hospitalization for people with heart disease and normal to moderately high cholesterol. It is also used to reduce the risk of heart attacks, angioplasty, and death for people with high cholesterol who do not already have heart disease. The medication usually takes about 4 weeks to have a significant effect on cholesterol levels in your blood. After this time, your doctor will likely send you for a lab test to check for changes in your cholesterol levels.
Before starting pravastatin, you should be on a cholesterol-lowering diet. If appropriate, a program of weight control and physical exercise should be implemented.The recommended starting dose of pravastatin is 20 mg daily, taken with or without food in a single dose at bedtime. Your doctor will do blood tests to tell how well this dose is working for you and may gradually increase the dose to get the desired response. The maximum recommended dose for adults is 80 mg taken once daily.
Many things can affect the dose of medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the way that you are taking the medication without consulting your doctor.
