Eating healthy is a vital part of lowering your cholesterol. To help make it easier, start small by making a few substitutions in your diet. Replace steaks, burgers, and fried foods with fish, chicken, and turkey that’s baked or broiled. The American Heart Association has delicious recipes that can show you how to eat healthy without giving up everything that tastes good. You can find them at www.deliciousdecisions.org
Getting regular exercise doesn’t necessarily mean putting yourself through something that seems like boot camp. Little things can help you more than you think. Simply going for walks or taking stairs instead of an elevator can make a difference and help lower your cholesterol.
If you’re feeling more ambitious, join a gym or explore new sports like golf, softball, or tennis. Do things you like to do, and have fun with it. The best way to make sure you stick to an exercise program is to make sure you’re enjoying yourself. Better yet, get a friend to join you. Of course, you should be sure to talk with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.
With 2 sources of cholesterol to deal with, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol can be challenging. So, when diet and exercise aren’t enough, your doctor may add VYTORIN.
When taking any medication, be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations and continue to take your medicine as directed.
Important Risk Information About VYTORIN:
VYTORIN is a prescription tablet and isn’t right for everyone, including women who are nursing or pregnant or who may become pregnant, and anyone with liver problems.
Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away. VYTORIN may interact with other medicines or certain foods, increasing your risk of getting this serious side effect. So, tell your doctor about any other medications you are taking.
Your doctor may do simple blood tests before and during treatment with VYTORIN to check for liver problems. Side effects included headache, muscle pain, and diarrhea.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
VYTORIN contains two cholesterol medicines, Zetia (ezetimibe) and Zocor (simvastatin), in a single tablet. VYTORIN has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone.
Please read the Patient Product Information and discuss it with your doctor. Also available is the physician Prescribing Information.
- Look at our Lifestyle Tips for helpful diet and exercise tips you can use every day.
- Take the Questions to Ask Your Doctor to your next appointment, and use the Goal Card to log your cholesterol levels after each visit.
