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Statins are drugs that can lower your cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol.

Lowering cholesterol isn't the only benefit associated with statins. These medications have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. These drugs may help stabilize the plaques on blood vessel walls and reduce the risk of certain blood clots.

A number of statins are available for use in the United States. They include:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• Lovastatin (Altoprev)
• Pitavastatin (Livalo, Zypitamag)
• Pravastatin (Pravachol)
• Rosuvastatin (Crestor, Ezallor)
• Simvastatin (Zocor)

Sometimes, a statin is combined with another heart medication. Examples are atorvastatin-amlodipine (Caduet) and ezetimibe-simvastatin (Vytorin).