If you suffer from high cholesterol, the first step to reduce it will be to make certain diet, which may include changes in diet, quitting smoking, exercising, etc.  If after approximately three months, there is no reduction in your cholesterol levels, your doctor may recommend medications.

When your cholesterol is too high to control, medications may be your only chance at reducing it.

Statins are a class of drugs that lower the level of cholesterol in the blood by reducing the production of cholesterol by the liver.  Statins also block the enzyme in the liver that is responsible for making cholesterol.

Finally, statins are used for preventing and treating atherosclerosis that causes chest pain, heart attacks, and strokes, in individuals who have or are at risk for atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a buildup of fatty materials, usually because of cholesterol.

Individuals are usually placed on statins because of high levels of cholesterol. In general, the medication is used for reduction of cholesterol.  However, this in turn assists with reduction of heart disease.  Heart disease is a complex disease.  Thirty-five percent of individuals who develop heart attacks do not have high blood cholesterol levels, yet most of them have atherosclerosis. This means that high levels of cholesterol are not always necessary for atherosclerotic plaques to form.

Because it is not clear what the statins are trying to control, the overall goal of treatment with statins should not be only the reduction of cholesterol to normal levels, but rather the prevention of the complications of angina, heart attacks, stroke, blood clotting, and death.

So what are some examples of statins?  You have likely heard of many of the statins that are approved for use in the United States.  These include:

• atorvastatin (Lipitor),
• fluvastatin (Lescol),
• lovastatin (Mevacor),
• pravastatin (Pravachol),
• rosuvastatin (Crestor), and
• simvastatin (Zocor).

Statins are given in tablet or capsules and are usually taken once per day.  You may be required to take these medications for life, depending on how high your cholesterol is.  Although this may be controlling your cholesterol, you may still be required to have regular blood tests to ensure the medication is working and ensure that the medication is not causing any damage to your liver.  With excessive use, you may be at risk for liver toxicity; however, this is usually monitored and not a problem.