Heart Disease
Taking statin medicines
Statins are medicines that lower your cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease, like heart attack or stroke.
If a statin is recommended for you, talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you have, and see the following information to learn more.
Statins and cholesterol
Your cholesterol target depends on your risk of heart disease—the higher your risk, the lower your cholesterol needs to be.
Even if your cholesterol is normal, you may need a statin if you’ve had a blocked artery, stroke, or heart attack. That’s because your risk of these heart diseases is now higher. Statins help to lower your risk.
Diet and statins
Statins lower your risk of heart disease and your cholesterol more than only changing your diet.
Few diets have been proven to lower your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Eating a heart-healthy diet is still important and a great way to take care of yourself and your heart.
Blood vessel protection
Besides lowering cholesterol, statins help protect your blood vessels.
If you have any blockages or cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels, statins can prevent them from getting bigger or breaking open, causing a heart attack or stroke.
Side effects
Most side effects of statins are mild, such as stomach upset. They go away over time.
Fewer than 10 out of every 100 people who take a statin have side effects.
In studies where people didn’t know if they were taking a statin or “sugar pill” (placebo), the rates of statin side effects were like those of the placebo.
Muscle health
Taking a statin is safe for your muscles.
It’s very rare to have serious muscle problems from taking a statin. Only about 1 out of every 10,000 people taking a statin report these problems.
It’s also rare to have minor muscle problems, such as aching, when taking a statin. Fewer than 10 out of every 100 people who take a statin have this side effect.
If muscle problems do happen, they tend to affect large muscles—such as the arms or legs—on both sides of the body.
Muscle problems can usually be managed by lowering your dose or changing to another type of statin.
Statins do not cause any long-term muscle damage.
Liver health
Statins can cause a small increase in liver enzymes. It happens in up to 3 out of every 100 people who take a statin. There are usually no symptoms.
This mild side effect doesn’t cause permanent liver damage. It can usually be managed by lowering your dose or changing to another type of statin.
It’s very rare for statins to cause a serious liver problem. Only 1 out of every 1 million people taking a statin will have a serious liver problem.
Lifelong use of statins
You will likely need to take a statin for the rest of your life.
Statins protect against heart attacks and strokes over many years. If you take a statin and your cholesterol is normal, it’s usually because of the medicine.
If you stop taking the medicine, your cholesterol and risk of heart disease will go up.
Natural health products
No natural health product or supplement has been proven to prevent heart attacks or strokes.
A study compared fish oils, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, plant sterols, and red yeast rice against a low-dose of the statin rosuvastatin or a placebo.
This study showed that none of these supplements lowered cholesterol by very much.
Coenzyme Q10 with statins
Most studies show that taking coenzyme Q10 while taking a statin doesn’t prevent muscle aches.
Ask your healthcare provider before you start to take coenzyme Q10. It’s expensive and usually not needed.
When to take statins
Talk to your healthcare provider about when to take your statin. They can recommend the right time for you.
Some statins can be taken anytime during the day—for example, atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).
Other statins should be taken at bedtime or with your evening meal—for example, simvastatin (Zocor).
Atorvastatin (Lipitor) safety
Atorvastatin is a safe option. It is just as safe as other statins.
Content developed in partnership with:
To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=custom.ab_heartdisease_statinmedicines_myths.
Related to Statins
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Current as of: December 18, 2025
Author: Cardiovascular Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta
This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.
