Would you take statins for high cholesterol?

If I had high cholesterol, I wouldn't statin drugs, for two reasons. First, from what I've seen, the research is not clear that reducing cholesterol levels has any real long-term benefit with regard to heart disease. Second, the drugs themselves have a terrible side-effect profile. For those who decide to go that way, though, be sure to take Co-Q10 to help minimize the damage.

I had a heart scan done myself about 5 yrs ago, and would highly recommend the procedure. Although mine came back clear, I could imagine that having someone tell you that they suspect plaque has started to form in the vessels affecting your heart is nothing like actually seeing and measuring them.

Instead of statins, look into the Pauling/Rath protocol for reversing heart disease. Basically, Lysine, Proline, Vitamin C, Co-Q10, Carnitine, Niacin and Vit E.

[[MORE]]Arginine supplementation can also be useful. It helps by increasing nitric oxide release in tissues, which in turn promotes wound healing (such as in the arterial walls; plaques form in response to wall damage), and helps to dilate blood vessels. Dr Joe Prendergrast's work in this area is very interesting.

If the heart scan does show some calcification, consider having EDTA chelation therapy, which can help dissolve the plaques. It's a slow process (once a week for 20+ weeks), but it has a pretty good track record, particularly when the plaques aren't too thick. The most effective approach is by IV, but it can also be done using EDTA suppositories -- the latter takes longer and requires some care in administration, but you might prefer it to getting stuck with an IV needle. Used in conjunction with a heart scan, you can actually track your progress.

Watch your blood pressure. High BP can damage blood vessels; repeated micro-damage means more plaques.

Also, watch/limit your calcium intake and Vit D level. There is a bunch of interesting work in this area. Tom Levy of Vit C fame was planning a book on the subject.