When my cholesterol spiked to 296 in 2022, my doctor called in a statin without even discussing it with me or giving me a chance to try lifestyle changes. I found a cardiologist who looked at just the number and told me I had to take statins to get it down. I had been in the mid 200's since 2009 and no one told me I had to take statins. Generally, my LDL wasnt' bad and my HDL was good. Even at 270 in 2021, statins were not prescribed. Don't you think we sometimes get a spike in a lipid test and it is worth a bit of a wait and re-taking the test? I do all the right life-style things - 66 and 127 lbs, average 10,000 steps a day, yoga, dance, kick-boxing; but one thing I did was significantly reduce meats in my diet. There isn't much more I can do in that department unless I could tolerate a completely vegan diet, which I can't. But I also cannot tolerate feeling like an ancient old lady everyday - getting out of bed stiff and sore all over. So, like you, I decided to be non-compliant for a bit, and I'm feeling so much better.