Hi Ruby Witch!
Oh boy! You've hit a raw nerve. I am SO anti-statin, you cannot imagine.
Here is Canada we have a documentary program which cannot be seen in the US. It's called The Nature of Things with renowned scientist, Dr. David Suzuki. Last year, they broadcast a documentary on cholesterol and statins with interviews with the top cholesterol/statin research scientists in the country. So this is not my opinion. The bottom line is that ONLY A MAN IN HIS FORTIES WHO HAS HAD A HEART ATTACK should be on statins.
My husband has had high LDL/bad cholesterol since his twenties or even earlier... (but always excellent, good HDL cholesterol I think because his diet is high in vegetables). After watching the documentary with me 3 times just to be sure of what we were learning, he was convinced not to take statins.
If you go on the Mayo Clinic site you can read that statins can cause diabetes, muscle wasting, liver problems that require monitoring every 6 months (and for which you need to take CoQ10 to protect the liver) and memory loss. And this is just what happened to my husband's sister who also has high cholesterol and took statins for years even at age 80 when even the American Heart Association sets the statin bar at age 75..
Let's face it, a doctor who does not do as Big Pharma says, can get him or herself into a lot of hot water.
A very experienced pharmacist friend told me that years ago 'normal' cholesterol was set at a particular level and it was recommended that anyone with a higher rating, take statins. Then Big Pharma lowered 'normal' and more people needed to be put on statins. Then Big Pharma lowered 'normal' a 3rd time so that now almost half of the elderly (who should especially not be on statins) are taking statins.
My husband tried to lower his cholesterol through diet; principally through a very high fibre breakfast. His numbers slowly went down into the normal range but again slowly went back up even though he kept up with his super fibre breakfast. He was always a walker but then began walking at least 10 km per day and as many as 25 km (maybe 16 miles) per day. His numbers are closer to Big Pharma's latest 'normal' range.
Cholesterol readings are passé. What is important now is your c-reactive protein levels which indicate inflammation in the body. On Web-MD it states: A recent study found that elevated levels of C-reactive protein were associated with three-times-greater risk of a heart attack. How is your c-reactive protein levels, Ruby Witch? My cholesterol is in the newest normal range but I could do better with my c-reactive protein levels and have to work on it with a more Mediterranean, high vegetable diet, plenty of vitamin C and fibre++. If I had high cholesterol like my husband I would not touch statins with a 10 foot pole.