[Kathy]

This is such a scary issue, as I know lots of 'healthy people' (people who exercise, eat right, don't smoke and don't drink) who have had heart attacks. My father in law can not take statins and has to have stints put in at least yearly. He takes some other stuff, and is very healthy, yet his genetics are such that he has high cholesterol. With his history, I sent my husband a few years back to get his cholesterol checked (he was in his mid-30's, so I figured it was time). When it came back in the 230's, I was up his rear about his diet and getting it down.

Well, a couple weeks later, I had a physical and the dr. checked my cholesterol. I thought, I'm too young for high cholesterol, I was 25 at the time. Well, the results came back, and my cholesterol was in the 280's! I tried diet and exercise, I'm not over weight or anything. I couldn't get it down on my own. I also have a family history of high cholesterol, with both my mom and dad having it. I now take Vytorin daily and it has lowered it considerably. My hubby also takes Vytorin and it works for him too. I have tried periodically to get off the Vytorin and get it lowered, but it is always too high without it. I have tried herbal remedies, all to no avail. So, I just take the Vytorin. It's a hard choice to take it or not, with all the bad side effects; but the other side of the coin is a possible heart attack, heart damage or death... a double edged sword.

Larry- So glad that you are ok and are alive to speak about it! My uncle just suffered a massive heart attack two weeks ago and lived through it. Luckily, one of his sons had stopped by to visit and called 911. They said without his son there that he would have died. He is in his early 50's, skinny, healthy eater, active, a light drinker, and a non-smoker. Just goes to show that heart attacks don't discriminate.

Best of luck to all of you in making the cholesterol decision,
Kathy