Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I read your query. Statins are cholesterol-lowering agents which act by inhibiting hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, one of the most important enzymes in the cascade of cholesterol biosynthesis in the human organism. As every other drug, statins have their side effects. The mos commonly found side effect is the slight liver cell damage, therefore once on statins, AST and ALT should be periodically checked. There are other side effects, which are really rare, but potentially serious complications if they appear, such as myoglobinuria and rhabdomyolisis. Given your age, dietetic changes should be undertaken. First, you should limit your alcohol use to a 30 g ethanol daily, maximum (i.e. two beers or a glass of wine); consume green leafy vegetables and fruit up to 200-300 g a day; the white of an egg, not the red; more chicken or other poultry, less red meat; regular physical activity, minimum 45 minutes a day. These measure, combined with the use of a statin, provide a safe and effective combination to lower cholesterol levels. I suggest you run some tests after three months: total cholesterol, LDL and HDL fractions, trıglycerides, AST, ALT. I hope I was helpful. Take care. Kind regards, Dr. Meriton