Pravastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by slowing how much cholesterol your body makes. This lowers the amount of cholesterol that can build up on the walls of the arteries and block blood flow to the heart, brain, and other parts of the body. Easy-to-read patient tips for pravastatin covering how it works, benefits, risks, and best practices. PRAVASTATIN (pra VA sta TIN) treats high cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. It works by decreasing bad cholesterol and fats (such as LDL, triglycerides) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL) in your blood. It belongs to a group of medications called statins. Pravastatin is a statin medication used to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. It’s also used to lower the risk of heart attack. Pravastatin is used together with diet to lower blood levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), to increase levels of good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and to lower triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood). Pravastatin is a statin that's used to lower cholesterol in adults and certain children. By lowering your cholesterol levels, the medication helps protect your heart and blood vessels from serious and even life-threatening medical problems, such as heart attack or stroke. Pravastatin is used together with a proper diet to lower cholesterol and triglycerides (fat) in the blood. This medicine may help prevent or slow down medical problems, like atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), that are caused by fats clogging the blood vessels. Pravastatin treats high cholesterol and helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Here are 7 side effects of taking pravastatin and tips to manage them. Pravastatin, sold under the brand name Pravachol among others, is a statin medication, used for preventing cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and treating abnormal lipids. [5] Overview: Pravastatin is used to treat high cholesterol levels and to lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. It works by decreasing the amount of cholesterol made by your.