Elevated blood cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Higher LDL cholesterol levels mean that more LDL from the bloodstream makes its way into the arterial wall. There, LDL is oxidized, setting off a chain of events leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.
Statin drugs work by blocking an enzyme involved in the liver’s production of cholesterol. Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed classes of drugs, and more than twenty-five percent of adults age 45 and older take statins.
