Do you really need statins to lower cholesterol? <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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: <\/p>\n
Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg\/dL <\/p>\n
HDL (good cholesterol): 40 mg\/dL or more for men, 50 or more for women <\/p>\n
LDL (bad cholesterol): less than 130 mg\/dL <\/p>\n
Triglycerides: less than 150 mg\/dL <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Exercising, eating a healthy diet, and losing weight can result in: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
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