When diet and exercise aren't enough, should you turn to drugs? Learn cholesterol basics, drug classes, and available drugs along with their benefits and side effects.

High cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Getting your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in an optimal range will help protect your heart and blood vessels. Cholesterol management may include lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) as well as medications to get your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides in an optimal range.

Eczema refers to skin inflammation. There are many different types of eczema that produce symptoms and signs that range from oozing blisters to crusty plaques of skin. Treatment varies depending upon the type of eczema the person has.

Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical instability of the heart.

Heart disease and heart attacks can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and stress management. Symptoms of heart attack in men and women include chest discomfort and pain in the shoulder, neck, jaw, stomach, or back. Women experience the same symptoms as men; however, they also may experience:

• Extreme fatigue
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Dizziness
• Fainting

Leading a healthy lifestyle with a heart healthy low-fat diet, and exercise can help prevent heart disease and heart attack.

Cholesterol occurs naturally in the body. High blood cholesterol levels increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, TIAs, and more. In addition to medication (fibrates, statins, bile acid sequestrants, and niacin), lifestyle changes can be made to lower blood cholesterol levels

An initial step in detecting liver damage is a simple blood test to determine the presence of certain liver enzymes in the blood. Under normal circumstances, these enzymes reside within the cells of the liver. But when the liver is injured, these enzymes are spilled into the blood stream, and can lead to diseases like fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hepatitis. Several medications also can increase liver enzyme test results.

Liver disease can be cause by a variety of things including infection (hepatitis), diseases such as:

• gallstones,
• high cholesterol or triglycerides,
• blood flow obstruction to the liver, and
• toxins (medications and chemicals).

Symptoms of liver disease depends upon the cause; however, common symptoms may include

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upper right abdominal pain, and
• jaundice.

Treatment depends upon the cause of the liver disease.

Night sweats are severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. The causes of night sweats in most people are not serious, like menopause in women, sleep apnea, medications, alcohol withdrawal, and thyroid problems. However, more serious diseases like cancer and HIV also can cause night sweats. Your doctor will treat your night sweats depending upon the cause.

You may experience other signs and symptoms that are associated with night sweats, which depend upon the cause, but may include:

• Fever, shaking, and chills with a fever caused by an infection like the flu or pneumonia.
• Unexplained weight loss due to lymphoma.
• Women in perimenopause or menopause may also have vaginal dryness, mood swings, and hot flashes during the day.
• Low blood sugar in people with diabetes.

Other causes of night sweats include:

• Medications like NSAIDs (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), antidepressants, sildenafil (Viagra), and abuse of prescription or illegal drugs and drug withdrawal.
• Hormone disorders like pheochromocytoma and carcinoid syndrome
• Idiopathic hyperhidrosis
• Infections like endocarditis, AIDs, and abscesses.
• Alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal
• Drug abuse, addiction, and withdrawal
• Stroke

A doctor or other health care professional can treat your night sweats after the cause has been diagnosed.

A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain caused by either a blood clot (ischemic) or bleeding (hemorrhagic). Symptoms of a stroke may include

• weakness,
• numbness,
• double vision or vision loss,
• confusion,
• vertigo, and
• difficulty speaking or understanding speech.

A physical exam, imaging tests, neurological exam, and blood tests may be used to diagnose a stroke. Treatment may include administration of clot-busting drugs, supportive care, and in some instances, neurosurgery. The risk of stroke can be reduced by controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and stopping smoking.

Triglycerides are a common form of fat that we digest. Triglycerides are the main ingredient in animal fats and vegetable oils. Elevated levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, fatty liver disease, and pancreatitis. Elevated levels of triglycerides are also associated with diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and medications (for example, diuretics, birth control pills, and beta blockers). Dietary changes, and medication if necessary can help lower triglyceride blood levels.