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Statins Quiz

How much do you know about these widely prescribed cholesterol drugs?

Christina Ianzito,

En español

Published April 30, 2021

8 Questions

c1ac1879-76c7-46c6-9695-d9ceffdcb74e

Statins Quiz

[ {
  "question" : "What do statins do?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Convert cholesterol from food into waste, which then is eliminated by the body",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Soften the arteries to prevent the \"hardening\" that leads to coronary artery disease",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Interfere with the liver's production of LDL (or \"bad\") cholesterol, which can cause heart disease",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Convert LDL cholesterol to HDL (\"good\") cholesterol",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Statins are medications that block the liver's production of LDL cholesterol, lowering blood levels of cholesterol.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "About what portion of American adults have high total cholesterol?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "About 1 in 6",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 1 in 8",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 1 in 10",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 1 in 15",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "About 10.5 percent of American adults had high total cholesterol in 2017-18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s a drop of 30 percent from 1999-2000.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What is a possible side effect of statin intake, and one reason some experts express caution about their widespread use?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Diabetes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Liver damage",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "A loss of muscle mass and strength, and muscle pain",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Research has shown that a high dose of statins (80 mg) can increase someone's risk of developing diabetes. Statins are also linked with muscle pain and, more rarely, liver damage. (Doctors need to determine whether the risks outweigh the benefits for each patient.)",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What puts you at a slightly greater risk for side effects from statin intake?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Being female",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Being male",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Being 64 or younger",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Having heart disease",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Some studies have shown that women are slightly more at risk for side effects such as muscle tenderness than men.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What does the American Heart Association say about whether people over age 75 with high cholesterol should take statins?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "They should take a statin only if they’ve had a heart attack or stroke.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "They should take a statin if their LDL cholesterol level is 190 mg/dL or higher.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "They should talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "They should think twice about taking a statin because if they haven’t already had heart disease, they probably won’t develop it.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "There are no clear guidelines for statins after age 75, because there are only a few studies assessing their safety and effectiveness. However, recent studies have indicated that statins may have significant benefits in older age groups.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Exercising is a medication-free way to lower LDL cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. What does not help to lower it?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Eating less cholesterol",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Losing weight",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Taking a baby aspirin every day",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Eating less saturated fat",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Aspirin doesn't affect the levels of cholesterol in your body, although it does lower the risk of a heart attack by reducing the likelihood of a blood clot forming in a coronary artery. Eating less saturated fat and cholesterol and losing weight all can lower your levels of LDL cholesterol.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "People with heart disease who start taking statins no longer have to concern themselves with:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Exercising",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Eating a heart healthy diet",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Maintaining a healthy weight",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "None of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The Mayo Clinic advises patients with high cholesterol, whether or not they're taking statins, to work at reducing their cholesterol levels through lifestyle changes. The most important are losing weight (if the patient is overweight), eating heart-healthy foods (such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and omega-3 fatty acids) and exercising most days of the week.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Statins appear to lower users' risk of what other ailment (besides heart disease)?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Cataracts",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Glaucoma",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Asthma",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Dyslexia",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "There is some evidence that statin users have a decreased risk of developing glaucoma.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Statins Quiz

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Christina Ianzito is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who joined AARP in 2010. She’s the travel and books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine and also edits and writes health, entertainment and other stories for aarp.org. She received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing.