All people with high cholesterol should eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Many people with high cholesterol should also take a statin. This includes blacks. Statins are especially important for people who: 

  • have low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels of 190 mg/dL or more 
  • already had a heart attack or stroke 
  • have diabetes 
  • are over age 40 with other risks like high blood pressure or smoking

Everyone is different, but statins work well for most people. Blacks respond to statins differently than whites and other groups. Sometimes they may need a higher dosage to reach their cholesterol goals. It isn’t completely clear why. 

If you start to take a statin, your doctor will check your cholesterol often to see how well it is working for you. If you aren’t sure if statins are right for you, talk with your doctor. There are other tests which can help you make the decision.

Want your cholesterol to go down and you're black? Statins have your back!