A patient presents in your office with very high levels of serum cholesterol. He states that he has tried to follow the diet and exercise regimen you gave him last year. You decide that this patient would benefit by taking a drug of the statin class. This class of drug is effective in treating hypercholesterolemia because it has which of the following effects?
A) binds cholesterol, preventing it from being absorbed by the intestine
B) decreases the stability of HMG-CoA reductase
C) directly prevents the deposition of cholesterol on artery walls
D) inhibits the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase
E) stimulates phosphorylation of HMG-CoA reductase

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Statins are effective in treating hypercholesterolemia because they inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is a key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. The statin drugs are fungal-derived HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) inhibitors.

A Patient Presents in Your Office with Very High Levels