Q. I'm a 70-year-old man with a family history of coronary artery disease. I currently take a low-dose statin. My recent LDL number is 105. Should I aim for a lower number?
A. My situation is similar to yours. I have some family members who died young secondary to coronary heart disease, and I run a high total and "bad" LDL cholesterol. I exercise regularly and try to follow a Mediterranean-style diet.
About 15 years ago, my doctor recommended starting a statin. Even at a low dose, I experienced more aches and pains than I had previously. I stopped the statin, but in retrospect, I now doubt that the muscle aches were related to the drug.
Eight years ago, I had a chest CT scan unrelated to any heart issues. My lungs were fine, but the scan showed calcium deposits in my arteries, including the coronary arteries that feed oxygen and nutrients to the heart. That was a game changer. Calcium gets deposited into fatty plaques that accumulate in the arteries. I knew this indicated that my risks of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke were significantly elevated. I immediately began taking the maximum dose of rosuvastatin (Crestor). Interestingly, I had no muscle aches, even with the high dose.
