The body needs cholesterol. But having too much cholesterol in the blood raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Statins block an enzyme the liver needs to make cholesterol. This causes the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood. While statins are effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems, and mental fuzziness in some people. Rarely ...
Why do high triglycerides matter? High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, called arteriosclerosis. This condition increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Extremely high triglycerides also can cause acute inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis.