Question

Which one of the following has been commercialized as a blood cholesterol-lowering agent?
A. Statins
B. Streptokinase
C. Cyclosporin-A
D. Lipases

Answer 1

Cholesterol is present in all cells of the body. LDL or low lipoprotein cholesterol is a bad cholesterol and HDL or high-density lipoprotein is good cholesterol. Increased levels of cholesterol in the body lead to heart diseases as cholesterol builds up in blood vessels leading to blockage or narrowing of blood vessels.

Complete step by step answer: Waxy fat-like substance found in cells of the body is called cholesterol. Cholesterol helps in the synthesis of hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol aids indigestion. Normal total cholesterol levels are less than 170 mg/dL. Statins are a blood cholesterol-lowering agent. It blocks the enzyme in the liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. They are also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. They decrease lipid concentration in the blood, thereby helping in preventing heart attacks, strokes and death by heart diseases by about 25%-35%. There are two types of cholesterol:
i. LDL (low protein lipoprotein) is also called bad cholesterol. Most of the body’s cholesterol is LDL. It increases the chances of heart diseases.
ii. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is also called good cholesterol. It removes harmful cholesterol from the body.
Too much LDL cholesterol leads to a buildup in walls of blood vessels, and this condition is termed as plaque. Due to this, blood vessels become narrow and chances of heart diseases increase. The combined LDL and HDL cholesterol gives total cholesterol levels in the body
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note: Statins is a type of blood cholesterol-lowering drug given to patients having high levels of cholesterol and are prone to heart diseases. Streptokinase is a clot-buster that helps in removing clots. Cyclosporin A is an immune-suppressing agent.