Lowering your cholesterol can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Diet and exercise may help lower your cholesterol. A heart-healthy lifestyle means getting regular exercise. It also means eating a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, healthy oils, and low-fat proteins. But this is not always enough to lower your cholesterol.

If your cholesterol levels are very high, your doctor may recommend medicines called statins. Statins help to lower “bad cholesterol” which can cause heart disease. This is also called LDL cholesterol, or LDL-C.

An LDL-C level at or above 190 mg/dL is considered high. If you have other risks for heart disease, even if your cholesterol level is lower than 190 mg/dL, statins may be a good idea for you. A drop of about 40 mg/dL in LDL-C causes nearly a 25% drop in heart and blood vessel problems like heart disease and stroke.

How much statins can lower your risk, depends on how high your starting risk is. You can estimate your risk using the ASCVD Risk Calculator. If your risk of having a heart attack is high, you stand to benefit most from lowering your cholesterol. 

Statins affect each person differently. The more your cholesterol level drops when you take statins, the more it lowers your chances of heart attack and stroke. Talk to your doctor and get your cholesterol checked.

Lower cholesterol today to keep heart disease at bay!