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• statIns are the maInstay of cholesterol treatment today.
• fIbrates, nIcotInIc acId, and cholestyramIne are also used, although
not as commonly.
There are various brands and of course, different dosages are used. Side effects can occur – muscle pains
and liver damage are the most common issues - but not commonly and these medications are generally
considered to be quite safe.
WILL THEY WORk?
Research shows that Statins can reduce total cholesterol by as much as 50% in most people. for most of us,
this is certainly enough to confer a very real health risk improvement.
BUT I Am OTHERWISE QUITE WELL?
You don't smoke and you're a slim athletic non-stressed person with normal blood pressure and no diabetes.
Great! This can become a debatable area. In people who have NO other cardiovascular risks, there is some
debate about the merit or need for cholesterol medication, although it does seem intuitively sensible to
manage High Cholesterol even on its own. This is something to discuss with your doctor in detail if cholesterol
is your ONLY risk factor.
the really important message about treating cholesterol with medication is that it is proven, safe, and
effective. It's quite simply a no-brainer for most people with high cholesterol.
