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Medications

What is the therapeutic class of the drug Simvastatin?

Answer choices

  • AHMG-CoA inhibitor
  • BBeta-blocker
  • CACE inhibitor
  • DCOX-2 inhibitor

About this question

What is the therapeutic class of simvastatin? On the PTCE Medications domain, examiners want formal class language for cardiovascular drugs — not just brand recall. Separating drug families (cholesterol-lowering agents vs blood-pressure classes) is a frequent technician skill.

This practice item asks for simvastatin's therapeutic class. The correct answer is HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin). Knowing the class helps you spot therapeutic duplication, anticipate myopathy interaction checks, and read auxiliary labels. After you answer, link simvastatin to Zocor and compare it with atorvastatin (Lipitor) so brand, generic, and class form one memory set.

Reveal answer & explanationShow

Correct answer

  • AHMG-CoA inhibitorCorrect
  • BBeta-blocker
  • CACE inhibitor
  • DCOX-2 inhibitor

Basic rationale

Statins are "HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors." This enzyme is the key step in the liver's production of cholesterol.

Option explanations

  • A: Correct. Simvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) that blocks cholesterol synthesis.
  • B: Incorrect. Beta-blockers affect heart rate and blood pressure, not cholesterol.
  • C: Incorrect. ACE inhibitors block angiotensin-converting enzyme for hypertension.
  • D: Incorrect. COX-2 inhibitors reduce pain and inflammation, not cholesterol.

Deep Analysis

Core logic

Simvastatin (Zocor) is a statin that inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Blocking this enzyme lowers LDL cholesterol.

Distractor analysis

B: Beta-blockers antagonize beta-adrenergic receptors for heart rate and BP—they do not affect cholesterol synthesis. C: ACE inhibitors block angiotensin-converting enzyme for blood pressure—they are unrelated to statins. D: COX-2 inhibitors (e.g., celecoxib) reduce inflammation and pain—they do not lower cholesterol.

Exam trap

All statins end in -statin and are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Don't confuse with ACE inhibitors—both say "inhibitor" but target different enzymes.

Memory tip

📉 Statin = Stop cholesterol. Simvastatin inhibits HMG-CoA reductase to lower LDL.

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