Which statement about statin mechanism is accurate?

Which statement about statin mechanism is accurate?

• A. They inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, reducing cholesterol synthesis.
• B. They lower LDL cholesterol by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption
• C. They increase cholesterol synthesis
• D. They inhibit platelet aggregation

Answer: (C)

Statins work by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis in the liver. When hepatic cholesterol production drops, liver cells upregulate LDL receptors on their surface to pull more LDL particles from the bloodstream, resulting in lower circulating LDL cholesterol. Inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption is not how statins work (that’s the action of drugs like ezetimibe). They do not increase cholesterol synthesis; they decrease it. They also do not primarily affect platelet aggregation.

Statins work by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis in the liver. When hepatic cholesterol production drops, liver cells upregulate LDL receptors on their surface to pull more LDL particles from the bloodstream, resulting in lower circulating LDL cholesterol.

Inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption is not how statins work (that’s the action of drugs like ezetimibe). They do not increase cholesterol synthesis; they decrease it. They also do not primarily affect platelet aggregation.