When would a doctor prescribe a medication to lower cholesterol?

If you have high cholesterol, the main goal of a treatment program is to lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level. There are 2 main ways to lower your LDL cholesterol level: lifestyle changes and drug treatment. Lifestyle changes include a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet; exercise; and weight loss if you are overweight. 

If following a healthy diet, exercising, and losing weight don’t lower your risk for heart disease, then your doctor might prescribe a medication to help lower your cholesterol (see Understanding Cholesterol-Lowering Medications). Even if your doctor does prescribe a medication, you must still follow your healthy diet, be more physically active, stop cigarette smoking if you smoke, and control your other risk factors (eg, high blood pressure, diabetes) for heart disease.