Editing Bile acid sequestrant (section)

==Mechanism==
Bile acid sequestrants are [[polymer]]ic compounds that serve as [[ion-exchange resin]]s.  Bile acid sequestrants exchange [[anion]]s such as [[chloride]] ions for bile acids.  By doing so, they bind bile acids and sequester them from the enterohepatic circulation. The liver then produces more bile acids to replace those that have been lost. Because the body uses cholesterol to make bile acids, this reduces the level of LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood.<ref>[http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/bile-acid-sequestrants-for-high-cholesterol Which Medicines Lower 'Bad' (LDL) Cholesterol?]</ref>

Bile acid sequestrants are large polymeric structures, and they are not significantly absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. Thus, bile acid sequestrants, along with any bile acids bound to the drug, are excreted via the feces after passage through the gastrointestinal tract.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040417225240/http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/treatments/medications/bileacid.html FDA Heart Health Online – Bile Acid Sequestrants <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>