Pravastatin Sodium (Generic Pravachol) is a cholesterol-lowering drug, also known as a "statin". Your doctor may prescribe it along with a cholesterol-lowering diet if your blood cholesterol level is dangerously high and you have not been able to lower it by diet alone.

Pravastatin is used to reduce the amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) "bad" cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides (another type of fat), and apolipoprotein B (a protein needed to make cholesterol) in your blood. These actions are important in reducing the risk of hardening of the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.