Cardiologist weighs statins' risks, benefits

In December, the American Heart Association reported a brow-furrowing finding: 10 percent of people who take statins discontinue the drug on their own because of perceived negative side effects.

One in four Americans over 40 takes a statin. The drugs are highly effective at reducing heart-attack and stroke risk for people with high levels of "bad" cholesterol. So halting them without a physician's guidance is a fraught decision, says Eugene Yang, a UW Medicine cardiologist.