[Margaret Pilkington]

Reducing saturated fat in your diet is not that helpful in bringing down your cholesterol.......your own liver manufactures cholesterol......it is essential for brain function and has some physiological effect on muscles too.
Lots of people who take statins may feel aches and pains in their muscles and also suffer form 'low' mood.....and in severe cases this can become a depressive type of illness.

Personally, I would not take statins, and I am not alone......many of my nursing colleagues are of a similar opinion.

I think that keeping your weight down, physical activity(and this can be something as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day) and being moderate with intake of alcohol......are all healthy lifestyle choices......and if your cholesterol persists in being elevated then I would consider plant sterols(benecol products or the like).