LIPITOR

What Is High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of fat found in the body. Having high "bad" cholesterol means you have too much LDL in your blood. LDL is low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol.
Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high cholesterol, can be serious. People with high cholesterol are at risk of getting heart disease. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Only about 20% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 80% is made by your body. Things such as age and family health history affect how much cholesterol your body makes.
Cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. Unfortunately, there are usually no signs that you have high cholesterol. But it can be detected with a blood test. These tests can also help your doctor predict what your risk for heart disease may be.

Cholesterol Treatment Options
If you have high cholesterol, that may put you at a higher risk for heart disease. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke. But there are ways to help improve your heart health. You can change your lifestyle through diet, exercise, and, if needed, a cholesterol medication.

Diet and Exercise
A healthy diet is important when working to lower your cholesterol. Small changes can make a big impact on lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). These may include:
- Increasing your intake of soluble fiber
- Lowering your intake of saturated fats
- Reducing fat intake to about 30% of your total calories in a day
Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
For 2 out of 3 adults with high cholesterol, diet and exercise alone may not be enough.
Why?
Your body makes about 80% of your cholesterol. Only about 20% comes from the food you eat. For many people a cholesterol medicine is needed in addition to a healthy diet and daily exercise.
Along with diet and exercise, your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower your cholesterol. LIPITOR is clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol 39%-60%, when diet and exercise are not enough (average effect depending on dose).
LIPITOR is FDA approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, certain kinds of heart surgeries, and chest pain in patients with several common risk factors for heart disease, including family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL ("good" cholesterol), or smoking.
LIPITOR is a prescription drug. It is used in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease such as family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL ("good" cholesterol) or smoking to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
LIPITOR is also used in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure, smoking or complications of diabetes, including eye disease and protein in urine, to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
LIPITOR is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems. And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.