Statins 101

By Paula Dranov

If diet and exercise are not enough, statins often can help lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. The mainstays of today’s treatment for high cholesterol, statins also reduce plaque accumulation and prevent heart attacks.

Who Needs Them
Anyone with high blood cholesterol levels, especially high LDL, should consult a doctor.

What We Know
While studies show that statins are highly effective, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 60 percent of people with high cholesterol don’t know it and of those who do, only 39 percent are taking a cholesterol-lowering drug.
           
“There are two reasons for the ineffective use of statins,” says Harvey S. Hecht, M.D., director of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography at the Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute in New York City. The first: “Many patients are mistakenly told they’re not at risk because their LDL is not that high,” Hecht says. The other problem is the apparent reluctance of many doctors to prescribe doses high enough to get their patients’ LDL down to safe levels. Some doctors believe that almost all adults should be on statins preventively, but in 2005 a committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration vetoed a proposal to make statins available over the counter.

Side Effects
Some people (1–2 percent) may experience muscle aches or elevated liver enzymes; rarely they cause muscle and/or liver damage.

Cost
Between $600 and $2,100 annually, depending on the drug and dosage. Statins often are covered by health insurance.