Fenofibrate
- Class: Fibrate
- Used for: high triglycerides
- Say it: fen-oh-FYE-brate
- Forms: tablet, capsule
Mnemonic: FIBrate for FAT — triglycerides, not cholesterol
Fenofibrate switches on PPAR-alpha, which raises lipoprotein lipase and speeds triglyceride clearance. A statin is the drug for a high LDL; a fibrate is the drug for high triglycerides.
Fenofibrate switches on PPAR-alpha, which raises lipoprotein lipase and speeds triglyceride clearance. A statin is the drug for a high LDL; a fibrate is the drug for high triglycerides.
Suffix -FIBRATE: A -FIBRATE goes after TRIGLYCERIDES, not cholesterol.
The stem marks a PPAR-alpha activator, which speeds triglyceride clearance. A statin is the drug for a raised LDL; a fibrate is the drug for raised triglycerides — and above roughly 10 mmol/L the worry is pancreatitis, not the heart. All drug suffixes ›
The stem marks a PPAR-alpha activator, which speeds triglyceride clearance. A statin is the drug for a raised LDL; a fibrate is the drug for raised triglycerides — and above roughly 10 mmol/L the worry is pancreatitis, not the heart. All drug suffixes ›
Side effects
Common: stomach pain, raised liver enzymes, headache
Serious: muscle damage with a statin, gallstones
Typical dose
145–200 mg once daily
Reduce in renal impairment. Safer than gemfibrozil if it must be combined with a statin.
Check yourself
Which lipid does fenofibrate mainly lower?
- Triglycerides
- LDL cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Lipoprotein(a)
Show answer
A. Triglycerides
Fibrates act through PPAR-alpha and speed triglyceride clearance, while LDL moves comparatively little. That is why a statin, not a fibrate, remains the drug for a raised LDL — and why the two are sometimes needed together.
See it, don't memorize it
The app has the mechanism comic and a patient case for Fenofibrate – plus the name link, the class mnemonic, pronunciation you can hear, and a self-check, for the top 100 drugs. One purchase, no subscription, no account.