You may have heard of recent studies showing that top cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia have been proven to have no benefits. Imagine how let down the patients that have trusted these drugs must feel. Imagine also how the medical professionals who prescribed these drugs in good faith must feel.

There are other drugs that have been shown to have effects on cholesterol, statin drugs, but these also come with considerable side effects. The decision to take these medications is that of the patient, the medical professional is there as an advisor, technician and referer to specialist practitioners. You should take the advice of your medical professional into consideration and do your own research when making a decision to start on statin drugs. There is lots of information that pharmaceutical companies don't include in the product information, but this research must be considered on balance. If you look at just the negative stuff then this is all you will focus on in your decision. Be aware of how the medications work and what the risks are.

Cholesterol levels are measured using LDL(good cholesterol) and HDL(bad cholesterol) levels and the ratio of the two. I don't agree with the labels good and bad for these two types of cholesterol but that is how most people understand them so I will stick with it for now.

Statin drugs lower cholesterol by affecting total cholesterol levels (good and bad) and not the ratio between the two which is more important. This can be a problem as an imbalance may be as much of a risk as high cholesterol.

Statin drugs have there own very real risks. These include:

1. Liver Damage. Statin drugs lower cholesterol by altering he enzymes produced by the liver that control cholesterol production and absorbtion. Interfering with these processes may affect the function of the liver in the long term.

2. Muscle Weakness. An important nutrient called Co-enzymeQ10 can be reduced by statin drugs. Co-enzymeQ10 plays an important part in muscle function particularly muscle strength. This affects all muscles including the heart, a muscle you want to possess optimum strength.

3. Memory Loss. Statin drugs have also been shown to affect memory, particularly short term memory, With busy lifestyles being on risk of having high cholesterol then short term memory loss could have a significant affect on working and home life.

4. Blood Sugar Levels. The levels glucose in the blood can be affected by these drugs. This a particular risk for people with diabetes. The lifestyle risks of diabetes and high cholesterol are similar and type 2 diabetes can often be present in people with diabetes. Be aware of how your blood sugar levels will be affected.

There are things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels without drugs. They are:

1. Improving lifestyle. Start better eating habits. Less fatty foods, less sugary foods, less alcohol. More fruit and vegetables, lean meat, more nuts and grain, drink plenty of water (two litres per day for most people, more if you do hard work or work in hot conditions.

2. Using dietary supplements such as fish oil (good quality, mercury free), Lecithin and policosanal are just some supplements that may be of some benefit for patients.

3. Exercise. Regular exercise will help to lower cholesterol and help to keep the body healthy and better able to regulate cholesterol levels without outside interference.

The decision to take statin drugs is an important one that should be made considering the benefits and the risks. It also makes sense to attempt to correct the situation by using lifestyle changes which may be the reason why cholesterol is high before starting on the drugs. Fix the cause before you suppress symptoms. Of course you need to consider other risks. If you have high blood pressure, previous heart problems, a family history of heart or cholesterol problems then statin drugs may be useful in your treatment plan sooner as well as lifestyle changes. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly should help you keep systems running well and assist in avoiding the need for pharmaceutical intervention.