Fibrate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of medication used to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood while preventing cardiovascular disease; a compound that activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors to regulate lipid metabolism; a pharmaceutical agent that helps manage abnormal blood fat concentrations to lower risk of heart-related conditions
2. A class of drugs aimed at lowering blood lipid amounts and improving blood fat profiles while protecting against heart disease; substances that stimulate specific nuclear receptors to modify how fats are processed in the body; medical treatments designed to reduce excessive cholesterol and triglycerides to promote cardiovascular health
3. Chemical compounds utilized to decrease circulating cholesterol and triglycerides and to prevent cardiovascular complications; agents that engage nuclear receptors controlling lipid breakdown and synthesis; medications prescribed to manage dyslipidemia by altering lipid metabolism and decreasing heart disease risk

Etymology: A fibrate is a drug that lowers triglycerides, the fats circulating in the blood. The word is a modern chemical coinage, not an old one. Nobody in classical antiquity could have used it, since the drugs and their chemistry came much later. The name is built from two parts. The "-ate" ending is the standard chemistry suffix for salts and esters of an acid, as in "acetate" or "nitrate." The "fibr-" element matches "fibre," from Latin "fibra," meaning a thread or filament. The drugs are named after fibric acid, the compound they derive from, and the word's exact link to fibres is uncertain, so it is best read as a chemical label rather than a description of the drug's appearance or action.

Synonyms: fibric acid derivative