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Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you?
New cholesterol guidelines
Lifestyle is still key for preventing heart disease
The side effects of statins
What other benefits do statins have?
Content
Should you be on a statin?
Risk assessment tools
Cholesterol guidelines
Healthy lifestyle is still key for preventing heart disease
Consider statins a lifelong commitment
Side effects of statins
Weighing the risks and benefits of statins
What other benefits do statins have?
Statins may have benefits other than just lowering your cholesterol. One promising benefit seems to be their anti-inflammatory properties, which help stabilize the lining of blood vessels. In the heart, healthier blood vessel linings would make plaques less likely to rupture, thereby reducing the chance of a heart attack.
Researchers are also studying whether statin therapy could prevent venous thrombosis, which includes blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) or deep veins (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT).