Mevacor (lovastatin) is a prescription medication that has been licensed to treat several conditions. These Mevacor uses include:
Treatment of high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
Prevention of heart disease
Slowing down the progression of atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries) in people with heart disease.

High Cholesterol Treatment
Mevacor is used for treating high cholesterol in people who cannot lower cholesterol through lifestyle changes alone. This drug can lower total cholesterol and LDL ("bad cholesterol"), as well as increase HDL ("good cholesterol"). It has also been shown to lower triglyceride levels in the blood.

Prevention of Heart Disease
Mevacor is also used to decrease the chances of developing heart disease in people without existing coronary heart disease but who have high cholesterol. In this group, Mevacor has been shown to decrease the chances of:

A heart attack
Unstable angina (a type of chest pain that can be a warning sign of a heart attack)
Needing a heart procedure, such as angioplasty or open heart surgery (known medically as coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or CABG).

It has also been shown to decrease the rate at which atherosclerosis develops in those with existing heart disease.

There are no universally accepted off-label uses for Mevacor.

Some precautions and warnings to be aware of with Mevacor include:
Mevacor may potentially interact with a number of other medications.
If you are an alcoholic or drink alcohol frequently, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to starting Mevacor. Alcohol can affect the way the liver works, indirectly affecting the Mevacor.

Statins have been known to cause an increase in liver enzymes, which can occasionally be a sign of liver damage. Therefore, it is recommended that you have a blood test that looks at your liver function before starting Mevacor and several months after treatment has started. These tests may also be recommended if the Mevacor dosage is changed.

Rhabdomyolysis (the severe breakdown of muscles) and other serious muscle problems have rarely been reported with Mevacor and other statins. Make sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any muscle pain, weakness, or tenderness, especially if you also have a fever or feel ill.
Studies suggest that Mevacor may be less effective (and more likely to cause side effects) in people with a genetic condition known as homozygous familiar hypercholesterolemia.

Mevacor is a pregnancy Category X medicine, meaning that it could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. The safety of Mevacor in pregnant women has not been established. If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider immediately.

If you are nursing, it is not known whether or not Mevacor passes through your milk. Therefore, if you are taking Mevacor, talk with your healthcare provider about whether you should stop nursing or discontinue Mevacor use.