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Heart Health

Statins and women

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What you need to know about these cholesterol-lowering medicines.

If you've been having trouble controlling your cholesterol levels, your doctor may have recommended that you take a statin drug. Statins lower LDL cholesterol—the so-called "unhealthy" or "bad" cholesterol because it helps to form the artery-clogging plaques that can lead to heart disease.

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