Cholesterol: a fatty substance found in certain foods as well as in most organs and tissues of the body. Your body uses cholesterol to make cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and other substances. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Excess cholesterol in your blood comes from the food you eat or from a family history of unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Fiber: a substance found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There are two types of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps block cholesterol and fats from being absorbed through the wall of the intestines into the blood stream. Increasing the amount of soluble fiber in your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help lower your cholesterol.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL): a type of cholesterol also known as good cholesterol. Good cholesterol removes bad cholesterol (LDL) from the walls of the arteries and delivers it to the liver for disposal. Having low good cholesterol (HDL) is a major risk factor for heart disease.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): a type of cholesterol also known as bad cholesterol because it plays a major role in the build-up of plaque in your arteries. Having high bad cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease. A high LDL level is a risk factor for heart disease.
Lipoprotein: a type of protein that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream. Lipoproteins are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL) are types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol throughout your body. It is important to have healthy levels of both.
National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP): a program of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The goal of the NCEP is to contribute to reducing illness and death from coronary heart disease (CHD) in the United States by reducing the percentage of Americans with high blood cholesterol.
Niacin: a type of B vitamin. A prescription-only form of niacin is one of the active agents in SIMCOR. Niacin has the effect of raising good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.
Plaque: a combination of cholesterol and other substances that builds up in the walls of the arteries. Plaque build-up causes the arteries to narrow and lose elasticity, which causes problems with blood flow.
Saturated Fat: a type of dietary fat that can increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood. Saturated fat is found primarily in animal products, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, and whole milk dairy products. It also is found in tropical oils like coconut and palm oils. A diet low in saturated fat can help improve cholesterol levels.
Simvastatin: a type of cholesterol medicine and one of the active agents in SIMCOR. Simvastatin limits the activity of an enzyme in your liver that is used to make cholesterol, decreasing the amount of cholesterol your body makes.
Triglycerides: a form of fat made in the body, sometimes referred to as the "other bad lipid". Triglycerides are carried in the blood to tissues where they are used for energy or stored in fat cells for future use.
Unsaturated Fat: a type of fat. There are two types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from plants, including olive, canola, sunflower, and peanut oils. Polyunsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in foods from plants, including safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils, and many kinds of nuts.
Uses for SIMCOR® (niacin extended-release/simvastatin)
SIMCOR is used when treatment with simvastatin alone or niacin extended-release alone is not enough, and when a low-fat diet and exercise alone have not been successful.
SIMCOR is a prescription medication that is used along with diet to lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides, and to increase HDL "good" cholesterol in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
No additional benefit of SIMCOR on heart disease over and above that shown for simvastatin alone and niacin alone has been demonstrated.
Important Safety Information for SIMCOR
SIMCOR is not for people with liver problems, stomach ulcers, or serious bleeding problems; for women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are nursing; or for those allergic to any product ingredient.
Contact your health care provider about any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, as this may be a sign of a serious but rare muscle disorder, from which rare cases of death may occur. This risk is increased when SIMCOR is taken with certain types of medications.
Tell your health care provider about all the medications you are taking, including vitamins and nutritional supplements.
SIMCOR contains extended-release niacin. All forms of niacin are not the same. SIMCOR should not be substituted for immediate-release niacin, as severe liver damage can occur.
SIMCOR is associated with increases in liver enzymes. Your health care provider should do blood tests before and during treatment with SIMCOR to check for liver problems. SIMCOR should be used with caution if you drink large amounts of alcohol or have a history of liver disease.
SIMCOR may cause an increase in blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check blood sugar levels more frequently during the first few months of SIMCOR use.
Tell your health care provider if you have a history of kidney problems or gout. SIMCOR may cause an increase in uric acid levels.
Women of childbearing age should use an effective method of birth control to prevent pregnancy while using SIMCOR. If you are pregnant, stop SIMCOR and contact your health care provider.
Flushing (warmth, redness, itching, and/or tingling of the skin) is a common side effect that may subside after several weeks of consistent use. Flushing may vary in severity and is more likely to occur when starting therapy or during dose increases. If you take SIMCOR at bedtime, flushing will most likely occur during sleep. If flushing wakes you up, take your time getting up, especially if you feel dizzy or faint, or if you take blood pressure medications.
Other common side effects include headache, itching, nausea, back pain, and diarrhea.
For more information, talk with your health care provider.
Please click here (http://rxabbott.com/pdf/simcor_pi.pdf) for full Prescribing Information.
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.
If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number (1-888-4PPA-NOW) for assistance.