What is the influence of lowering cholesterol on risk of cancer, dementia, and death? How have conflicts of interest shaped the national prescribing guidelines blindly followed by most doctors? How do these medications affect the muscles and the liver? Patients who read this book will know more facts about these drugs than most physicians, who are unthinkingly prescribing cholesterol-lowering medications very broadly. Dr. Moira Dolan is passionate about empowering the consumer, and encourages every reader to become familiar with the principles of informed consent by finding out what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of common medications. Dr. Moira Dolan is not preaching against the use of these medications, only providing you with facts about them so that you can make an informed decision about whether you should take them - or not. By describing each of the major studies on statin drugs in easy to understand language, this book illustrates the plus sides and downsides to cholesterol-lowering medications, including a section on the very newest drugs. The goal is to make you a knowledgeable healthcare consumer so that you can exercise judgment and be smart about your healthcare decisions!