As you've probably heard, the American diet is high in cholesterol, and that can be unhealthy. Too much cholesterol is now known to be an important factor in the development of heart disease, cancers, and gallstones. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated foods do not contribute to this process the way saturated fats do. Trans fatty acids are found in many commercial food products. In addition, a very small amount of trans fatty acids occurs naturally in dairy foods and the meat of animals such as sheep and goats.
Lipids are fats or fatlike substances.
Lipid-lowering drugs are prescription medications that can lower your blood levels of cholesterol and another form of fat in the blood, triglycerides. By lowering blood levels of these fats, the lipid-lowering drugs can help prevent or reduce the plaque buildup in blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. If you think that you might benefit from taking a lipid-lowering drug, check with your doctor and follow his or her recommendations. Also, today's statin drugs for lowering cholesterol and other lipid levels are both safe and highly effective in helping to prevent or control heart disease. So your doctor may decide to reconsider whether you would benefit from lipid-lowering drug therapy.