Improving your cholesterol levels can help protect you from heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Your health care provider will work with you to lower your cholesterol by improving your diet. If this is not successful, medicines to lower cholesterol may be the next step.

Statins are often the first medicine treatment for high cholesterol. Both adults and teenagers can take statins when needed.

There are different brands of statin medicines, including less expensive, generic forms. For most people, any of the statin medicines will work to lower cholesterol levels. However, some people may need the more powerful types.

A statin may be prescribed along with other medicines. Combination tablets are also available. They include a statin plus medicine to manage another condition, such as high blood pressure.

Take your medicine as directed. The medicine comes in tablet or capsule form. Do not open capsules, or break or chew tablets, before taking the medicine.

Most people who take statins do so once a day. Some should be taken at night, but others can be taken anytime. They come in different doses, depending on how much you need to lower your cholesterol. Do not stop taking your medicine without talking with your provider first.

Read the label on the bottle carefully. Some brands should be taken with food. Others may be taken with or without food.

Store all of your medicines in a cool, dry place. Keep them where children cannot get to them.

You should follow a healthy diet while taking statins. This includes eating less fat in your diet. Other ways you can help your heart include:

• Getting regular exercise
• Managing stress
• Quitting smoking

Before you start taking statins, tell your provider if:

• You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Pregnant and nursing mothers should not take statins.
• You have allergies to statins.
• You are taking other medicines.
• You have diabetes.
• You have liver disease. You should not take statins if you have certain acute or long-term (chronic) liver diseases.

Tell your provider about all of your medicines, supplements, vitamins, and herbs. Certain medicines may interact with statins. Be sure to tell your provider before taking any new medicines.

Overall, there is no need to avoid moderate amounts of grapefruit in the diet. An 8 ounce (240 milliliters) glass of grapefruit juice or one grapefruit can be safely consumed.

Regular blood tests will help you and your provider:

• See how well the medicine is working
• Monitor for side effects, such as liver problems

Mild side effects may include:

• Muscle/joint aches
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Upset stomach
• Gas

Though rare, more serious side effects are possible. Your provider will monitor you for signs of these. Talk with your provider about the possible risks for:

• Liver damage
• Severe muscle problems
• Kidney damage
• High blood sugar or type 2 diabetes
• Memory loss
• Confusion

Tell your provider right away if you have:

• Muscle or joint pain or tenderness
• Weakness
• Fever
• Dark urine
• Other new symptoms

Antilipemic Agent; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Atorvastatin (Lipitor); Simvastatin (Zocor); Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev); Pitavastatin (Livalo, Zypitamag); Pravastatin (Pravachol); Rosuvastatin (Crestor); Fluvastatin (Lescol); Hyperlipidemia - statins; Hardening of the arteries - statins; Cholesterol - statins; Hypercholesterolemia - statins; Dyslipidemia - statins; Statin

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Updated by: Thomas S. Metkus, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.