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High cholesterol: questions to ask your doctor

Last published:Jan 18, 2023

If you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you may want to talk to your doctor to find out more. Here are some questions that you might want to ask.

  • Do I need to change my diet? If so, what should I eat? What should I avoid eating?

  • Do I need to do anything else, such as exercising more?

  • Do I need to lose weight?

  • What's the best treatment for me?

  • Do I need to take medicine?

  • What are the side effects of treatment?

  • By how much will treatment lower my cholesterol?

  • Do I need to take vitamins or any other supplements?

  • What will happen if I don’t have treatment?

  • Do I need to have my cholesterol tested regularly?

  • How likely am I to get heart disease? Besides high cholesterol, what are my other risk factors?

  • What can I do about these risk factors?

The patient information from BMJ Best Practice is regularly updated. The most recent version of Best Practice can be found at bestpractice.bmj.com. This information is intended for use by health professionals. It is not a substitute for medical advice. It is strongly recommended that you independently verify any interpretation of this material and, if you have a medical problem, see your doctor.

Please see BMJ's full terms of use at: bmj.com/company/legal-information. BMJ does not make any representations, conditions, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that this material is accurate, complete, up-to-date or fit for any particular purposes.

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