WEBMD - Statins for Lowering Cholesterol Levels, Dec 13, 2011

"You’ve just left your doctor’s office with a prescription for a statin medication to help lower your cholesterol. But you may be nervous. You’ve heard that you’ll have to take this cholesterol-lowering medication for the rest of your life. And your doctor noted that statins, like all medicine, can cause side effects.
Why should you take a statin? Can’t you just improve your cholesterol levels by eating right and exercising? The answer is yes -- and no. Healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels look like this:"