At what point is cholesterol medication required?

Medication is typically recommended when: your cholesterol levels are high enough to increase your risk for cardiovascular disease (or you already had a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke) you have an LDL level greater than 190 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)

What level can you start statins?

This guideline states “In adults 40 to 75 years of age without diabetes mellitus and with LDL-C levels ≥70 mg/dL (≥1.8mmol/L), at a 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk of ≥7.5 percent, start a moderate-intensity statin if a discussion of treatment options favors statin therapy.”

Is there any reason not to take statins?

Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins.

Can I stop taking statins if my cholesterol is low?

But don’t stop taking your statin because you think your cholesterol levels are automatically better because of your lifestyle changes. The only way to know if your cholesterol levels are in a healthy range is with a blood test.

Should I take a statin for borderline high cholesterol?

If your risk is very low, you probably won’t need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you’ve had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don’t have high cholesterol.

What LDL level is too high?

LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dL. Levels of 100 to 129 mg/dL are acceptable for people with no health issues but may be of more concern for those with heart disease or heart disease risk factors. A reading of 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dL is high.