Should I take statins even if I don’t have high cholesterol?
Dr Ravi Assomull explains why statins may be prescribed to people with normal cholesterol levels if they have other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease. He also discusses how diagnostic tests, like cardiac CT or Lp(a) levels, help determine overall cardiovascular risk and whether statins are appropriate.
Learn more about High cholesterol or book a consultation with Dr Assomull – no GP referral needed, appointments typically within one working day.
Transcript
We sometimes do prescribe statins for people with seemingly normal cholesterol and typically the people who would benefit from it are those who have high level of risk factors for coronary disease. These include people with high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of heart disease. Additionally there may be other factors that we find from our testing such as plaque on a cardiac CT or a raised LP(a) level on blood tests that would suggest that however normal the cholesterol is the overall cardiovascular risk is high and statins therefore have a role to play.
