#22 Statins
About this episode
This episode explores the misconceptions surrounding statins and their role in combating heart disease through a family conversation.
Heart disease kills more Americans each year than cancer and accidental deaths combined, yet the drug most often prescribed to fight it — statins — remains widely misunderstood and, for many patients, a hard sell. In this episode, Josh and his mom break down what statins actually do: how they block the liver's HMG-CoA reductase enzyme to slow cholesterol production, clear LDL particles from the bloodstream, and even help stabilize arterial plaque before it ruptures. Along the way, they cover the basic biology that makes it all make sense — how cholesterol moves through the body via lipoproteins like LDL and HDL, why the brain makes and holds onto its own separate supply of cholesterol for years at a time, and why particle count (ApoB), not just cholesterol concentration, may be the more meaningful number to watch. The conversation also tackles the questions patients ask most: do statins cause memory loss, diabetes, or cataracts? What are the real risks of muscle pain and rare side effects like rhabdomyolysis, and who's most at risk for them? And what's changed in 2026, with new dyslipidemia guidelines lowering the recommended screening age to 30 and pushing for more aggressive…
More episodes of Your Mom on Drugs
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Your Mom on Drugs podcast page.