This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
When Your Doctor Orders Cholesterol-Lowering Medications
You’ve just left your doctor’s office with a prescription for a statin medication to help lower your cholesterol. But you may be nervous. You’ve heard that you’ll have to take this cholesterol-lowering medication for the rest of your life. And your doctor noted that statins, like all medicine, can cause side effects.
Why should you take a statin? Can’t you just improve your cholesterol levels by eating right and exercising? The answer is yes -- and no. Healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels look like this:
Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL
HDL (“good” cholesterol): 40 mg/dL or more for men, 50 or more for women
LDL (“bad” cholesterol): less than 130 mg/dL
Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL
Many people can get their cholesterol and triglyceride levels into these healthy ranges through a combination of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. But for many others, these lifestyle changes help, but are not enough.
Measuring the Benefits of Statins, Diet, and Exercise
“Lifestyle changes certainly are the cornerstone of cholesterol reduction,” says Michael Miller, MD, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Exercising, eating a healthy diet, and losing weight can result in:
- A 5% to 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol
- A 10% to 30% reduction in triglycerides
But for those with very high LDL cholesterol or triglycerides, those lifestyle measures may be insufficient. “If your lipid levels are way out of whack, for example, reducing your LDL by 10% may not get you down to a healthy level,” Miller says.
- Statin medications act quickly and can help reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol by up to 50% or more.
- Statins also help increase HDL or “good” cholesterol by up to 15%.
If you’re making healthy lifestyle changes at the same time, says Miller, you should see major changes in your cholesterol levels within two to four weeks after beginning lipid-lowering therapy.
“Statins are very simple: you take them once a day, and their effects are quite profound,” says Patrick McBride, MD, MPH, director of the preventive cardiology program and the cholesterol clinic at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Not only do statins improve your cholesterol levels, but they reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular events. They’re one of the great success stories of modern medicine,” says McBride.
Most recently, the JUPITER trial showed that statins can also slash the risk of heart attack nearly in half for people with normal cholesterol but high levels of a protein associated with inflammation.
Statin Side Effects and Other Worries
What about side effects from taking statins? It’s true that any medication comes with side effects. Side effects most commonly seen with statins are headache, GI tract upset, muscle and joint aches, or rash. Very rarely, patients may experience muscle or liver damage.
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-199
200-239
240+
Your level is currently
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal.
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is borderline high. If your LDL goes higher, your total cholesterol level could become Borderline High. Consider reducing the amount of foods you eat with saturated fats and increasing physical activity. If you get more exercise, your level of "good" HDL cholesterol may increase, which could also help to keep your levels of LDL and total cholesterol in check.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL. The HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL because the HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. But your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe medication, such as statins. Following medication, dietary, and exercise instructions should result in improvements.
Your total cholesterol level is High, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe statins or other cholesterol-lowering medications.
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