![]() ![]() Once age and starting cholesterol level were taken into account, people who did not reach this 40% target were 22% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the following six years. However, people who were not prescribed 'high-intensity statins' (such as atorvastatin 20-80 mg a day) were less likely to reach this target. There may be several reasons for this, including people not taking their statin tablets regularly. National guidelines recommend that for people who have cardiovascular disease, the drug of choice is atorvastatin 80 mg a day.Ī study of over 165,000 patients taking statins has shown that about half of people taking statins did not reduce their LDL cholesterol by at least 40%. If the target is not reached at first, the dose may need to be increased or a different preparation used. If you do have a cardiovascular disease the aim, if possible, is to reduce total cholesterol (TChol) to less than 4.0 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol to less than 2.0 mmol/L. This is a 'high-intensity' statin - the aim of giving high-intensity statins is to reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by at least 40%. However, national guidelines recommend that people who have not been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease should be started on atorvastatin 20 mg a day. There is no actual target cholesterol blood level for people who do not already have cardiovascular disease. ![]() What is the target cholesterol level to aim for? See the separate leaflet called Cardiovascular Disease (Atheroma). Note: a statin is just one factor in reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. See the separate leaflet called Cardiovascular Health Risk Assessment. Risk is considered to be high when your score is 10% or more (that is, a 1 in 10 chance or more of developing a cardiovascular disease within the 10 years that follow). For example, if you have diabetes, or other risk factors. You have a high increased risk of developing an atheroma-related disease.A statin helps to reduce the risk of these conditions getting worse or, it can delay the disease becoming worse. This is a cardiovascular disease such as angina or peripheral arterial disease, or you have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). You have a high cholesterol level (called hyperlipidaemia - read more about hyperlipidaemia and familial hypercholesterolaemia).Your doctor will advise if you should take a statin. They include atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin. Statins are a group of medicines that are commonly used to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.
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