It is heartbreaking that more than 39,000 deaths, almost 100,000 nonfatal heart attacks, and up to 65,000 strokes could be avoided if everyone who was eligible to take cholesterol-lowering medications did so.

A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine says that even though European and U.S. guidelines indicate that 47% to 87% of around 130 million U.S. adults qualify for taking a cholesterol-lowering medication such as a statin, only 23% of them are using any to lower dangerously high lipid levels. 

If that's you, protect yourself by getting a blood test to assess your LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein A, triglyceride, and apolipoprotein B levels. That will let you know if you need to take a medication.

Then get a prescription. If you don't have insurance (or even if you do), explore options such as GoodRx or pharmaceutical companies' support programs.

And then take your meds. One study found that 57% of people never filled their statin prescription, and 42% filled it, but never took the meds.

They had a chance to dodge heart woes and death, but didn't.

Looking for alternatives to taking a statin? Ask your doctor about the four other types of cholesterol-lowering drugs that are available.

And eat a plant-based diet, light on salt, filled with unprocessed foods and healthful proteins. That’s a powerful antidote to already-existent heart disease, as is physical activity.

You can also explore cutting-edge therapies, including therapeutic plasma exchange, that counter inflammation — an underlying cause of heart issues.