The Fidelis Care Blog

Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood, and statins are medications that can help keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

There are two types of cholesterol:

1. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) can build up inside your arteries and clog them. At first, you may have no symptoms that you have high LDL levels.
2. High-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) helps move LDL out of your blood.

Your body needs cholesterol to keep your body's cells healthy. But high cholesterol can harm your heart and arteries. It can cause a heart attack or stroke. Statins are medications that can help lower cholesterol.

What does a statin do?

Statins can help prevent heart disease in people who are at risk. This includes people with high cholesterol or diabetes, or who have had a heart attack or stroke. Fidelis Care covers 90-day prescriptions for statin medications in our formulary.

Do statins have any side effects?

Statins are safe for most people. Speak with your provider if you have muscle aches or cramps. Your provider may lower your dose, or switch you to a different statin.