Do you really need statins to lower cholesterol?

Youve just left your doctors office with a prescription for a statin medication to help lower your cholesterol. But you may be nervous. Youve heard that youll 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? Cant you just improve your cholesterol levels by eating right and exercising? The answer is yes -- and no. For most people, a 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.

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:

Originally posted here:

Do You Really Need Medicine to Lower Cholesterol?