There are some countries where the whole population has a low good cholesterol level, such as Turkey. But I think that one should have the same level of good cholesterol for different races in industrial societies. For example, in developing countries, good cholesterol may be low due to diet. In Turkey, we think it's low due to genetics. Yes, diet and exercise are very important, and taking a drug is no substitute for diet and exercise.
Exercise is especially important in maintaining a good level of the good cholesterol.
About 1 in 10,000 have inflammation or weakness of their muscles. We did not see these problems or side effects in our study of Mevacor. Yes, some people are prone to have higher levels of bad cholesterol. Either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats do help, or just a low-fat diet. I can see this being excellent for people who are genetically pre-disposed to high cholesterol but think it a waste just so people can continue to suck down salt and hamburgers.