If you are concerned about preventing or treating unhealthy cholesterol levels, you should make diet and lifestyle changes – whether or not your doctor prescribes a cholesterol medication. Your doctor may want you to try diet and lifestyle changes first, and then consider medication if those changes alone don't get you to your cholesterol goals. Depending on your LDL (bad) cholesterol level and your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, your doctor may decide that you need to start drug therapy right away, at the same time as you're starting to make lifestyle changes.
Know your levels and your other risk factors and work with your healthcare professionals to develop the treatment and prevention plan that's right for you.
This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 11/02/09.
