Definition

A medication used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood, which is made from a substance produced by a type of mold.

Example

The doctor prescribed simvastatin to help manage my cholesterol levels.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of simvastatin?

Yeah, I think it's a medication for lowering cholesterol, right?

Exactly! My doctor recommended it to help manage my levels.

That sounds helpful; I should ask my doctor about it too.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Simvastatin is derived from 'sim-' (a shortening of 'similar') and 'vastatin' (from the suffix '-statin', which comes from the Greek 'statos', meaning standing or stopping). The word refers to a drug that works similarly to other statins to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting its production in the body.

Memory Tip

Think of 'similar' ('sim-') drugs that help in 'stopping' ('-statin') cholesterol production — that's why simvastatin is used to lower cholesterol.

Visually Confused Words