About Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Heart disease is the #1 health problem in the United States. About every 34 seconds in the US, someone has a heart attack. 80% of people who have had a heart attack have high cholesterol, a leading risk factor for heart disease. If you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk for heart disease.* If you have high cholesterol and other risk factors, you could be at more than 3.9 times the risk for heart disease of an average healthy male.a Remember, the more risk factors you have, the greater your risk for heart attack or stroke may be.
Unfortunately, you may not know you have high cholesterol. People with high cholesterol often have no symptoms. That’s why if you don’t know your cholesterol levels, now is the time to have your cholesterol checked by your doctor.
Your overall cholesterol is important. But guidelines suggest that you focus on your LDL ("bad" cholesterol) level to manage high cholesterol.
Having high "bad" cholesterol means you have too much LDL cholesterol in your blood. LDL is low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries and prevent the blood from getting to your heart. HDL cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. It carries LDL cholesterol away from your artery walls.
When you have high cholesterol, a thick, waxy plaque can build up in your artery walls. As plaque builds up, the artery narrows and becomes less flexible. If a blood clot forms and clogs an artery narrowed by plaque, you could have a heart attack or stroke.
A healthy artery is open and has a smooth lining (far left). An unhealthy artery contains plaque buildup, commonly caused by high cholesterol.
*Total cholesterol levels of greater than 240 mg/dL.
aD'Agostino RB Sr, Vasan RS, Pencina MF, et al. General cardiovascular risk profile for use in primary care (Perfil de riesgo cardiovascular general para uso en cuidado primario): the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2008; 117(6)743-753.
LIPITOR is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems. And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.
If you take LIPITOR, tell your doctor if you feel any new muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of rare but serious muscle side effects. Tell your doctor about all medications you take. This may help avoid serious drug interactions. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver function before and during treatment and may adjust your dose.
Common side effects are diarrhea, upset stomach, muscle and joint pain, and changes in some blood tests.