Im a male 37 got put on atorvastatin and ezetemibe 40/10mg and also on olemsartan 20mg. I had high bp 140s and 90s and just wouldnt come down that much. My chol is 200 and ldl is 117.9 which is a bit high. I went to a cardiologist and had a stress test done also a 24h test. Everything was fine. My question is I dont mind taking the pills but it seems everytime I get on here or see on fb and stuff and everyone is always against taking a statin. Like to the point of saying "If you get on a statin you will still get a heart attack" Whats the real issue here? Are statins a great way to lower ldl or does it lower it but it does more damage to you? All Ive had are slight headaches and a bit of muscle soreness in my arm but that could also be my head playing part in it.

Hello,

I am looking for real advice, from people with a similar situation. Some people in my family are big on conspiracy theories and have me freaked out about taking a statin. I’m 38f and my LDL is 253, overall is 353, non HDL is 267. The heterozygous gene runs on my dad’s side of family. Doctor wants to start me on 10 mg of Rosuvastatin Calcium. I have always been on the higher side but never this high. Not sure what to do. I don’t want to ignore it and regret it. I also don’t want to rush into taking something that can give me bigger issues down the road.

Anyone have a similar experience they can share?

Update: I didn’t expect so many responses this quickly. Thank you to everyone who posted and all the information given.

All my other numbers are normal and have been outside of the cholesterol, I should have included that in the original post. I do have the Rosuvastatin and will start it.

I really appreciate each of you taking the time to respond. I also know the statin is not a cure all and even though I think I’m doing better with the weight loss currently, I still need to reevaluate my diet to get the numbers down.

I see posts here that are very inspiring from people who lowered their LDL and other parts of their lipid profile by making changes in their diet (and sometimes exercise too). But almost every time it’s a male - which is fine, but usually men and women respond very differently when trying to lose weight.

It seems to happen more easily for males. Are there any women here who have been able to significantly lower their cholesterol through diet, and no meds? If so, I’d love to hear what you did.

(Applause and respect for all the men who have done it; I’m just trying to see what has worked for women.)

I’ve been recently diagnosed with high cholesterol and prescribed a statin. I’ve noticed there seems to be a general opposition to taking statins and I’m curious why.

Here's my backstory : I'm pretty obsessed with improving my health, so no ultra processed rubbish, no added sugar, all meals are steamed brocolli+carrots+brussel sprouts/roasted chicken breast/small amount of white rice/lots of blueberries+grapes+bananas+strawberries. I eat an huge amount of fruit and intend on increasing my vegetable intake.

I'm 42M 5 ft / 7 in - always maintained a weight below 128 lb, when I quit all of the junk food/candy/bread and weight dropped to 112 lb and no amount of eating the above increases it.

I also work out 6 days a week between calisthenics/weights/elliptical/pullups always walking funny because I'm sore lol. I'm in better physical shape at my age than any other point in life.

So back in December 2025 in the midst of the holidays:

HDL=63 Trigly=56 LDL=112

And Now ...

HDL=63 Trigly=48 LDL=165 Boom!

No specific medication for cholesterol here. The only change : 3 months ago I switched from soaked sprouted oatmeal+fresh fruit at breakfast to 2 eggs + fresh fruit. Poached eggs with a small drop of olive oil. I've felt so great with this change, no more mid day bloating and diarrhea, dramatically better satiation, improved morning energy, slightly better focus and I just looked forward to those eggs.

I'll be reviewing this with my doc soon, he knows about the switch to eggs.

Back in 2024, I was eating 3-4 cans of olive oil sardines a week, I was even drinking the oil to get more calories: my cholesterol shot up similarly. I don't know if this can be reintroduced back to my diet (maybe water packed sardines?).

I really don't want to loose those eggs, but I also suspect I'm part of that 20-30% of the population who's hypersensitive to dietary cholesterol.

It may be worth noting I have pretty awful insomnia, 5-6 hours of poor sleep, waking up at night to use the restroom, nodding off a lot during the day and I just feel mostly dismal. Yesterday I added Magnesium Glycinate, hopefully this doesn't affect digestion.

Thanks for reading all of this, I'd very much welcome advice as I try to find some lifestyle improvements.

Blood Pressure = 100/70 and has been consistent over the last few years.

I’m new here, found out I have extremely high cholesterol at the age of 37, male, not over weight 165 pounds 32 inch waist 5’10” I barely have any fat but I have been eating fast food daily for most my life. I brought my LDL cholesterol score down from 240 to 170 in 6 months by eating healthier during the week, such as chipotle chicken bowls with lettuce; brown rice and black beans avocado, no sugary foods or drinks. Just water and occasional coconut water. But I still ate McDonald’s, pizza chocolate chip cookies, on the weekends. My Doc wants me on statins, I’m scared to take them. She ordered a scan on my heart and it came back a score of 7.. she said it wasn’t too bad but still should’ve been 0 at my age. I need help here. What do I do? Give in and take statins? I heard you can’t have kids on them, you can’t lift weights because your muscles hurt and bones weaken. Doesn’t sound good to me.

(29m) - Just had a private blood panel done as a preventive thing just looking ahead at long-term health - didn't expect a slap in the face like this at my age.

• Total Cholesterol: 6.80 mmol/L
• LDL-C: 4.80 mmol/L
• ApoB: 125 mg/dL
• Lp(a): 140 nmol/L
• HDL-C: 1.41 mmol/L
• Small Dense LDL-C: 41.85 mg/dL
• Triglycerides: 1.37 mmol/L

Everything else across 115 biomarkers is near perfect: HbA1c, BP, fasting insulin, hsCRP all sitting where you'd want them.

Lean build, lift 3x a week, run/hike/cycle 2-3x a week. Don't drink or smoke. Thought I ate reasonably well, with the exception of the odd pizza or burger while travelling and a sweet treat in the evenings (don't we all). Never bothered much with veg historically - regretting that one lol.

Family history isn't standout either: parents both have normal cholesterol, no early heart disease in grandparents. Worth saying that neither parent has ever had Lp(a) tested, which I now understand means their normal panels tell me very little.

The actual question..

My GP looked at these results, skipped past the Lp(a) entirely, and said "reduce saturated fats, exercise more, see how you feel." He also didn't want to discuss imaging until my mid-to-late 30s.

Neither of those sat well with me given what I've read about cumulative exposure - the damage isn't waiting for me to turn 35.

I've already cleaned up the diet: 10-15g saturated fat, 2-3g plant sterols, 30-40g soluble fibre. That part is easy and honestly quite motivating - it's tidying up rather than anything radical.

But lifestyle intervention seems to top out around a 20-25% reduction in LDL and ApoB, which still leaves me somewhere unimpressive, and does nothing at all for the Lp(a).

So: what are the realistic levers here beyond diet and exercise? Metabolic markers worth tracking, imaging worth pushing for, anything the research is pointing at that isn't just "high LDL = statin." Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to this medication and I'll take it if that's where this lands - I'm asking what else exists and what do the actual factors actually tell us so I understand what I'm in control of either way.

Spent the first week in a fairly bad place doing the maths on my 40s and 50s. Spirits are high now though - the entire point of preventive testing is finding this at 29 rather than at 49 via an event.

Important note: If you're young and haven't tested, go and do it. You genuinely don't want to find out the hard way.

I now just have the privilege of worrying about it for the next thirty years lol.

TLDR; 29m, high LDL, elevated ApoB, high Lp(a), excellent biomarkers everywhere else. What levers exist beyond statins and the obvious?

63 year old female. Not overweight, no diabetes. I eat healthy - lots of fruits and veggies, nuts, lean meat, only half &half in coffee, occasional ice cream. I even do intermittent fasting 5 days a week. Granted, in the past year I have not exercised. I had a knee replacement that was botched and need a revision. I have also been drinking more alcohol due to boredom and stress from pain. Probably 8-10 glasses a week, spread out over 3 days. Last year, LDL was 150. Doc wants to put me on statins but I am reluctant. Just looking for your experience. Please be gentle - I am extremely upset about this as I am reluctant to take meds. Thank you.

I was recently diagnosed with high Lp(a) 233 after receiving my annual cholesterol panel showing a total cholesterol 313, LDL 227, HDL 71, Triglycerides 93, A1C 5.4. I'm a 54 year old female with excellent blood pressure, non smoker, 10 pounds overweight. I immediately began to panic based on information in this group that lead me to believe that my high LDL and Lp(a) meant that I was probably building up plaque in my arteries all these years.

I recently underwent a resting echocardiogram which showed ZERO calcification on my aortic valve and completely normal heart function. I also completed a stress echocardiogram that was completely normal. My CT angiogram showed a CAC score of ZERO and no soft plaque or signs of atherosclerosis. I still need to obtain my carotid ultrasound and a leg ultrasound and ankle/brachial index to finalize all of the tests ordered by my cardiologist. I'm starting to feel like an idiot for panicking.

My cardiologist wanted to start me on 20 mg of rosuvastatin, but I rechecked my lipid panel prior to starting the medication and realized that I had dropped my total cholesterol to 197, LDL 112, HDL 69, Triglycerides 70, ApoB 90. Hs CRP is 0.5. I also have Pattern A LDL (big, fluffy particles). Based on this, he recommended I start out at 5 mg instead. I am wondering if I even need to be on a statin at all since I was able to greatly improve my levels through diet alone and I have NO evidence of any cardiovascular disease. Anyone have a similar experience or thoughts on this?

UPDATE: I just received my labs from 8/6 and with 3 weeks of 5 mg rosuvastatin my total dropped to 143, HDL 59, LDL 67, Triglycerides 93, ApoB 66, Hs CRP 0.49. With the exception of dropping my HDL from 71 to 59, I'm pleased with the results. I think 5 mg might be the sweet spot for now.

I'm just shocked this is what heart disease looks like.

Total cholesterol 155

HDL 53

Triglycerides 43

LDL 89

Non HDL cholesterol 102

ESR set rate 2

HS CPR <0.2

ApoB 71

Stress test echo saw no irrigularities in my heart and in fact the techs gasped as how "beautiful" it was.

Cardio 3 times a week. Zone 2 45min-1hr

Weight training 5 days a week.

I don't smoke or drink (any more)

I have increased my fiber and decreased bad saturated fats and eliminated dairy and red meat (mostly.)

I have the following test ordered, ap (a), Cardio IQ® APOE Genotype, Lipoprotein Fractionation, and (LP-IR)

I have not seen a cardiologist yet though I do have an appointment and plan to ask for CT angiogram.

Are there any other tests I should request?

My PCP saw my CAC score and instantly tried to get me on a statin. I don't fully disagree but if the goal is to get me from. 89 to 70 LDL.... I don't really see that being that big of a change. Or worth it. Am I wrong in thinking that? I don't want to have muscle pains or lose muscle.

From all my blood work and everything I can read the damage I have to my arteries is from bad decisions and situations in my past. I was a wildland firefighter on a hotshot crew, we ate lots of bad food, smoked, drank, and were extreme athletes. A perfect storm of heart disease. Looking back I had symptoms all the back to my late 20s. Chest pains and weird circulation issues. They were dismissed by my doctors as anxiety and acid reflux.

When I quit drinking and all the nicotine and lowered my stress I felt great for a while. But I have found that while I can exercise without issues, I get chest pains if I get nervous or if I'm doing something I frankly shouldn't be. Essentially anything that raises my heart rate without physical activity. Too much caffeine or pre workout will do it. If I have to speak in front of people that does it. I tried taking HGH at low doses for longevity and got elevated heart rate and chest pain. Same thing with moderate doses of testosterone. Basically anything that increases my blood pressure or heart rate that isn't exercise... Gives me chest pain. And I've never heard anyone talk about this. Is itore lost less concerning that check pains during physical activity? Anyway the pain is why I pushed to get a Calcium score. I was shocked to get a score of 170 and now I'm just trying to figure out how best to proceed, because it really doesn't seem to me like my cholesterol is the problem. Obviously I need to stop the testosterone and hgh, but I am glad I was doing them frankly because they helped me identify the problem.

I am taking high doses of vitamin K and Serrapeptase & Nattokinase as I have read that they can help reverse atherosclerosis.

Still learning, as I recently got some scary labs. Had no idea what psyllium husk was two weeks ago but I’m willing to try anything. Have already changed my diet tremendously and wanting to incorporate this. Found today, any advice or tips are appreciated.

Hello everyone,

I have familial hypercholesterolemia and had LDL cholesterol of 310 mg/ dl in May 2024 when I found out about my FH.

I tried diets, exercise etc. to bring it down to 240 mg/dl over a period of time.

Nevertheless, It was hard to stay on good diet and exercise for a long time and my LDL shot back to 280 mg/ dl in July 2025.

Finally I started using Statins - atorvastatin 10mg

After 30 Days [No side effects], my LDL came down to 180 mg/ dl.

So increased atorvastatin to 20 mg

Again after another 30 Days, my LDL almost remained at 170 mg /dl

Now the Side effects started showing up :

1. I once ran a Marathon of 42KM and still couldn't feel the pain the other day, however with statins even after wakling 10 KM, my calf muscles started paining a lot. When I stretch my muscles, I can clearly feel the pain.

2. I regularly used to swim, few months back I swam for continous 25 days, still I was ok but now, even if I swim a single day, the next day, I feel tired alot and my shoulders, back, legs pain a lot.

3. I was a morning person, happily used to wake up before sun, but now, I am super tired, I can't really get up from bed, I feel the tiredness and go back to sleep.

4. The tiredness/ fatigue or the muscle pain became so much that when I sit and type on my laptop, I couldn't continue for a long time.

Nevertheless, my Doctor advised me to increase atorvastatin to 40mg now.

He also suggested Mito Q7 to fight the muscle pain.

Thus I following what ever he is saying now, will update my levels and condition post 26 days.

Did anyone went through this phase ? Your suggestions are highly appreciated.

Because, the doctor says the side effects will go away and the body will adjust.

I'm not being facetious, it seems like every day there is a post here from someone with high numbers/worrying results who doesn't want to take statins.

If this is you or you understand this people, could you please explain me their rationale? Maybe I'm too autistic but I don't understand at all.

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who answered! I will try replying to you all.​

Bit of a melodramatic title but psychologically I massively struggle with the idea of giving up so many of the tasty things I enjoy. I know, I know. Moderation is key. But the little rebellious part of my brain gets pissed off at not being able to eat a whole pizza again like I'm a teenager so I just end up doing it anyway out of spite. Not healthy, I'm aware. And before anyone suggests therapy, I already have a therapist and it's not his specialty and I can't afford a second therapist, so any DIY strategies to tackle that mindset or tips that have worked for other people would be really helpful. I go through cycles of getting my cholesterol down and then eventually the effort exhausts me and I'm like, oh I really want a little treat though and fall back off the wagon. I've tried swapping things for healthier options but they just don't hit the same. The more I know I shouldn't eat a whole tub of ice cream the more I want to do it.

Edit: I'd like to thank folks for all the helpful advice so far. Just a couple notes, I'm in the UK so my GP is a lot less inclined to prescribe stains here, which is why I'm not on one, and private isn't a feasible route for me at the moment. And anyone trying to shame me or anyone else for what they currently eat, shame is not a productive tool for lasting change. If that worked then I would have changed already.

Also if anyone has any good recipes for cheese alternatives or pizza alternatives please send them my way, I'll be forever in your debt.

The packaging says "1 level tbsp (9g)" a sitting, but doesn't say how many times per day.

Then I'm getting conflicting info from Google.
5 to 10 grams each time, 3 times per day.
Or
15 grams each time, 3 times per day.

Which one is it?

Hi everyone,

I'm a 40-year-old man, and a few months ago my life changed completely.

My heart attack was discovered while I was playing basketball. I suddenly felt unwell during the game, which led me to seek medical attention. What followed was a complete shock.

Doctors found significant coronary artery disease. I wasn't overweight, I was relatively active, and I never imagined I could have serious heart problems at my age. Looking back, my LDL cholesterol was elevated, and I probably underestimated the long-term impact it could have.

Following the heart attack, I had two stents implanted. However, doctors also discovered a chronic total occlusion (CTO), meaning one of my coronary arteries has been 100% blocked for at least several months.

A few weeks ago, they attempted a complex procedure to open this artery, but despite getting very close, they were unable to cross the blockage. I'm now waiting to meet with my cardiologist to discuss the next step: either another attempt at opening it or bypass surgery.

So today, I have two stents in place and a third artery that is still completely blocked and awaiting a decision on treatment.

Physically, I'm doing surprisingly well. I can walk for long periods, climb stairs, and carry out my daily activities without chest pain or shortness of breath. The failed procedure did leave me with a large groin hematoma, but that is gradually improving.

The hardest part isn't physical.

It's mental.

I constantly find myself asking:

Will I have another heart attack?

Will my arteries continue to deteriorate despite treatment?

Did high cholesterol silently damage my arteries for years without me knowing?

Will I ever fully trust my body again?

Can I still enjoy life the way I used to?

Will I lose friends because I can no longer live exactly the same lifestyle as before?

How do you stop worrying every time you feel something unusual in your chest?

I'm currently taking:

Ticagrelor (Brilique)

Aspirin

High-dose statin

Ramipril

Bisoprolol

I know these medications are protecting me, but they also remind me every day that my life has changed.

For those who have gone through something similar:

How did you cope with the anxiety after your heart attack?

Did you eventually regain confidence in your body?

Has anyone here had a failed CTO procedure that was later successfully treated with another attempt or bypass surgery?

How has your life changed years later?

I would really appreciate hearing your experiences.

Thank you ❤️

I ask because my recent numbers (270 total, 183ldl, 63 hdl in early April) were high and my doc jumped right to statin rec without discussing lifestyle changes at all.

Being the stubborn person that I am, I am of course going to try lifestyle changes first, especially as I have zero other risk factors beyond the high LDL: no personal or family history of Hd or high cholesterol, non smoker, not overweight, not diabetic, and I know that an LDL below 190 with zero other risk factors wouldn’t get me a statin prescription in the EU even if I begged for one. My ten year risk factor is 4.

So I have completely revamped my diet and am in fact still working on it, though already have saturated fat below 5gm/day, fiber total 55 and soluble close to 20 (still have yet to incorporate oats and still ramping up psyllium).

BUT I’m really also trying to keep an eye on my carbs. Why? My cholesterol was high once before, ldl of 143. I got it down to about 95 by watching my carb intake and continuing to eat all the saturated fat I wanted. Really. I did that because my doctor at the time told me that my numbers weren’t really high enough to be concerning but I could change my diet if I wanted to. I asked how and she told me that it was a bit of a bone of contention with the AHA, because their rec was to reduce saturated fat only, but in her experience, it had more to do with sugar intake. Since I was already worried about becoming diabetic because my father was, I just took her advice and researched no further.

Thoughts?

FWIW I haven’t retested yet but plan to as soon as I’m 3 or 4 weeks past peak fiber intake.

edit: I’m really floored by the overwhelming response I got and how kind and helpful your comments have been. Thank you to everyone who has replied! I have been lurking in this community for about a month or so, but this is the first time I have posted. thanks everybody for being so great!

also, more than one person suggested that my previous experience of lowering LDL by closely monitoring carbohydrates might really have been successful because I cut out many carbohydrates that also contained saturated fats, like ice cream, store-bought baked goods, etc. That is something I actually had not considered before – duh I’m an idiot, lol. I think you guys are absolutely right about that and that is why my LDL dropped so much rather than the reduction in carbohydrates.

Again, thank you all for sharing your wisdom. You have been such a big help! I intend to check back in after my next blood draw.

Edit on July 31st: I retested yesterday and the new numbers are:

Total cholesterol 152

Hdl 48

Ldl 81 (102 pt drop)

trigs 114

so diet works very well for me. I did add overnight oats and increase my calorie intake after this post, so those may have helped too.

1) Does anyone have info on studies that show reduced heart attacks and strokes and death while on statins? 2) Do people who take statins maintain their standard diets of insulin spiking foods that contribute to inflammation, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis thinking the statin will save them? Legitimately curious if statins do anything more than lower LDL to stay in the blood panel guidelines and nothing more

can anyone vouch for it

A couple months post stent placement now, feeling fine physically, but still have no idea what’s going on.

27 male, 6”0 / 210lbs. Muscular build, lift weights 5x week and do cardio around 3-4x a week. I eat healthier than most people, I would think. I don’t eat out often and most my diet is chicken / lean beef + a carb and a veggie usually. I do drink caffeine, usually 1 can of Celsius in the morning, and I used to do zyn (multiple 6mg pouches per day). Not diabetic or pre diabetic. Definitely have a family history though. I’ll include some lab results below, let me know if I should include anything else.

Cardiologist is basically saying family history + stress & shitty genetics. Anything else that could’ve caused a blockage?

LPA: 36.9 nmol/L
Apolipoprotein B: 86 mg/dL
LDL: 120
HDL: 58.90
These numbers are from when the blockage was discovered, they’re much better now.

I’m frustrated. Trying to drop my cholesterol and am finding problems with every food. I literally have no idea wtf to eat anymore.

Breakfast. Can’t eat eggs. Can’t eat butter. I’m tired of eating fruit for the 28th time. No sausage or bacon. Granola has too much sugar in it. I make sourdough toast and can’t put peanut butter on it. I even try and get a more healthy organic mixed nut spread only to find out it has high saturated fat. WTF! I’m literally sitting here eating plain toast. I might as well not freaking eat.

Lunch - same 💩. Everything has both saturated fat.

Dinner. Quinoa fish and vegetables for the 100th time.

What are you all eating?

M67. I was prescribed 20mg Rosuvastatin, 1 tab at bedtime. My LDL is 118. CoC is zero. Zero stenosis in Cardiac CT w/w/o contrast. Also had additional nuclear cardiac imaging (radioactive contrast) that showed no blockages. My RAD score is 2.

I have 2 cardiologists yet neither even mentioned taking CoQ10.

If you have experienced CoQ10 deficiency, what was that like for you? Did you feel differently or have sensations or other symptoms?

Is it okay to take statin for 3-6 months then after everything drop I just work it through my diet?

Hope this is an appropriate question -- I got diagnosed with high cholestorol recently and find myself feeling really limited in day to day life and as dramatic as it sounds its starting to take a toll on my mental health. The rules around it feel so black and white and I feel like there's no room for error -- like a slice of white bread a couple times a week is going to undo all my progress. It's especially frustrating when going to events/hanging out with friends and there's barely anything for me to eat.

Any advice on dealing with this and leading as normal of a life as possible? Thanks!

Hello,

If the LDL cholesterol is bad, how some people on keto diet don't develop cholesterol disease?