I've been doing a lot of research lately about better ways of lowering cholesterol. I've found many articles that say niacin is quite effective. However, it is not without side effects, and at the dosages necessary to control cholesterol, it must be monitored by a physician. There are 3 types of niacin used for cholesterol control: IR (immediate release, which can cause intense flushing and has some danger of liver toxicity), ER (extended release, which causes less flushing and has the least potential for causing liver toxicity), and SR (sustained release, which causes about the same amount of flushing as the ER, but in tests has shown a very high incidence of liver toxicity.)

I suggested niacin to my doctor, and she agreed, but was going to prescribe the SR type. I briefly explained to her that the ER was the better choice, so now she wants me to come in and show her my research. My appointment is for next Monday, the 19th, and I am well armed with 6 really excellent studies that I printed out, all from official peer reviewed medical and pharmacy journals.

On another subject, while I was doing my research, I stumbled across a report of a study that seems to indicate that calcium supplements can increase heart attack risks in postmenopausal women. I'm going to give her that one, too.