Text Size

About High Cholesterol

Sign Up for Updates

Be notified of special Welchol offers, news, and site updates that may interest you.

Learn About High Cholesterol

In the body, cholesterol is important for many functions, such as digesting food, building cells, and keeping tissues healthy.¹ Your liver generally makes all the cholesterol that you need, but you also get cholesterol from food.²

What is bad cholesterol?

Your blood has bad cholesterol. Too much LDL-C can clog your arteries, blocking blood flow to vital organs like the heart.³

Why is it important to treat my high cholesterol?

When too much bad cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can build up in the inner walls of your arteries. This build up, called plaque, is a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible.⁴ Over time, plaque can block an artery that supplies blood to your heart or brain. If plaque completely blocks the artery, then a heart attack or stroke can result.⁵

Welchol™ (colesevelam HCl) has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

What can I do to manage my bad cholesterol?

Work with your physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider to monitor your cholesterol level. If your bad cholesterol levels are too high, diet and lifestyle changes can help you manage your cholesterol and keep it down.

The following pointers will help you stay healthy and promote low cholesterol:⁶

Make sure to stick to a heart healthy diet
Stay physically active and maintain a healthy weight.
If you are a smoker, consider quitting; if you are not a smoker, do not start
If you have been prescribed cholesterol medicine, take it as prescribed, and don't forget to follow any other recommendations your physician may have

Welchol has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

References

1. High blood cholesterol: what is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html. Accessed November 13, 2007.

2. High blood cholesterol: what is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html. Accessed November 13, 2007.

3. High blood cholesterol: what is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html. Accessed November 13, 2007.

4. High blood cholesterol: what is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html. Accessed November 13, 2007.

5. High blood cholesterol: what is cholesterol? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html. Accessed November 13, 2007.

6. High blood cholesterol: how is high blood cholesterol treated? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_Treatments.html.

Healthy Starts

Learn about managing your high LDL cholesterol and/or type 2 diabetes with Welchol.

Get the Brochure

Important Information About Welchol

Welchol lowers LDL or "bad" cholesterol along with diet and exercise. It can be taken alone or with other cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins.

Welchol, along with diet and exercise, also lowers blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus when added to other antidiabetic medications (metformin, sulfonylureas, or insulin).

Ask your doctor if Welchol is right for you.

Welchol is not for everyone, especially those with intestinal blockage, those with blood triglyceride levels of greater than 500 mg/dL, or a history of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) due to high triglyceride levels.

Welchol has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

Tell your doctor if you have high triglycerides (greater than 300 mg/dL).

Tell your doctor if you have stomach or intestinal problems, including gastroparesis (when the stomach takes too long to empty its contents), abnormal contractions of the digestive system, major gastrointestinal tract surgery, or if you have trouble swallowing.

Tell your doctor if you have vitamin A, D, E, or K deficiencies.

Welchol has known interactions with glyburide (a drug for diabetes), levothyroxine (a drug used to treat an underactive thyroid) and certain oral contraceptives. Welchol has not been studied with all combinations of drugs and supplements. Please tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you may be taking before beginning Welchol, as your doctor may tell you to take your other medications and supplements 4 hours before taking Welchol.

Remember to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

In patients with high LDL (“bad” cholesterol) side effects that occurred greater than placebo (a "sugar" pill) were constipation (11.0% vs. 7.0%), indigestion (8.3% vs. 3.5%), nausea (4.2% vs. 3.9%), accidental injury (3.7% vs. 2.7%), weakness (3.6% vs. 1.9%), sore throat (3.2% vs. 1.9%), flu-like symptoms (3.2% vs. 3.1%), runny nose (3.2% vs. 3.1%) and muscle aches (2.1% vs. 0.4%).

In patients with Type 2 Diabetes side effects that occurred greater than placebo were constipation (8.7% vs. 2.0%), inflamed nasal passages and throat (4.1% vs. 3.6%), indigestion (3.9% vs. 1.4%), low blood sugar (3.0% vs. 2.3%), nausea (3.0% vs. 1.4%) and high blood pressure (2.8% vs. 1.6%).

The content provided herein is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk to your doctor for more information about your specific condition.

The photos on this site depict models, not actual patients or healthcare professionals.

Daiichi-sankyo

Welchol Logo

Daiichi-Sankyo