I have been on statins for over 30 years with no side effects. My brother died at 63 and my father at 71 both from heart attacks. I am 84 and I credit statins for giving me a few more years. My sister is 88 and also on statins. My family has a history of high cholesterol. Exercise and diet can help if your cholesterol level is not too high.
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GPs get QOF points for every person they prescribe statins to. These QOF points are worth just over £200 each. This is on top of their 6 figure salary and can bring in hundreds of thousands for their practices. So it’s not surprising your GP wants you to be on statins. guidelines call for lowering of underlying levels of cholesterol so you can be sure you will fit the profile for medication very soon! 
also remember that once you are on statins you are usually on them for life!
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The prescribing of statins also coincided with the overall allowed cholesterol level to be lowered from under six to under five mmol/L.
I know! Changed my cholesterol from good to marginal. The bastards!
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Same here Bruce, and what they don’t tell you down at the doctors is: Your overall level could be higher because the good cholesterol (HDL) is high, which is a good thing.
I think the pathology lab reports differentiate or report on both, mine always have.
My doctor insists on blood tests every three months for we over 70s including things like liver/kidney function, PSA (Prostate?), diabetes, cholesterol and a host of other things. I am on first name terms with the nurse at the pathology service.
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Mine do too Bruce but you have to ask for a breakdown otherwise they won’t tell you. I go for my tests once per year and because I don’t take statins they write ‘Results as expected’
I had a PSA test a couple of years ago and it came back normal, however, I’m usually up three or four times during the night for the toilet. I rarely wake up during the trip…
I was lucky to have met John Yudkin. He retired from the University of London College I went to while I was there. It’s a shame the food producers didn’t pay more attention to him, it would have saved a lot of heartache.