Statins are the most common type of medicine used to treat high cholesterol. High cholesterol raises your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Statins can lower this risk. Your doctor will probably suggest a statin if you have:

  • LDL-C (“bad” cholesterol) levels of 190 mg/dL or more
  • already had a heart attack or stroke
  • diabetes

Even people with lower LDL-C levels (less than 190 mg/dL) may need to take statins. This is especially true if their risk of having a heart attack or stroke is high. These include people with added risks like high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and age over 65 years. You can check your 10-year risk of heart attack of stroke online at ASCVD Risk Estimator Plus.  

There are other types of medicine that can lower your cholesterol. They may be used if statins do not lower your cholesterol enough or you can’t tolerate statins. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these medicines are right for you.

Lowering your cholesterol is the way to keep heart disease at bay!