Articles
Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you?
New cholesterol guidelines
Lifestyle is still key for preventing heart disease
The side effects of statins
What other benefits do statins have?
Content
Should you be on a statin?
Risk assessment tools
Cholesterol guidelines
Healthy lifestyle is still key for preventing heart disease
Consider statins a lifelong commitment
Side effects of statins
Weighing the risks and benefits of statins
New cholesterol guidelines
New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association focus on four main groups of people who may be helped by statins:
- People who already have cardiovascular disease. This group includes people who have had heart attacks, strokes caused by blockages in a blood vessel, mini-strokes (transient ischemic attacks), peripheral artery disease, or prior surgery to open or replace coronary arteries.
- People who have very high LDL (bad) cholesterol. This group includes adults who have LDL cholesterol levels of 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) or higher.
- People who have diabetes. This group includes adults who have diabetes and an LDL between 70 and 189 mg/dL (1.8 and 4.9 mmol/L), especially if they have evidence of vascular disease.
- People who have a higher 10-year risk of heart attack. This group includes people who have an LDL above 100 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L) and whose 10-year risk of a heart attack is 7.5 percent or higher.
