What should I do now?
Call 911
Call 911 for possible heart attack or stroke symptoms: chest pressure, severe trouble breathing, face drooping, arm weakness, or trouble speaking. Do not drive yourself.
Contact your care team
Contact your care team for side effects, cost barriers, or difficulty taking medicine. Severe muscle weakness or dark urine needs prompt assessment.
Keep your care plan
Keep your treatment and follow-up plan. Bring questions, readings, and your medication list.
SECTION 5
Living well with high cholesterol
Cholesterol management is usually a long-term commitment. Improved numbers often mean your treatment is working.
Keep taking your medication
Do not stop because your cholesterol becomes normal. Without ongoing treatment, levels may rise again.
Discuss side effects, cost, or difficulty remembering doses with your care team.
Make healthy habits part of your routine
Choose changes you can maintain: prepare more meals at home, add fiber-rich foods, and make regular activity part of your week.
Healthy habits remain valuable even when medication is necessary.
Keep your blood test appointments
Repeat testing shows how well treatment is working. Your clinician may also order other blood tests when appropriate.
Share your family history
Tell your clinician about relatives with very high cholesterol or early heart attacks. If an inherited condition is suspected, family members may also benefit from testing.
Feeling well is not a reason to stop managing cholesterol. Prevention works before symptoms develop.
Updated October 2026. Educational information; your own care plan may differ. Medical illustrations are simplified examples for teaching.