Mike now knows his medication could have prevented his heart attack (:39)
He told his brother: "Have your cholesterol checked, and if they tell you to take the pill, take the pill."
Click the thumbnails below to watch more real stories.
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His Heart Was at Risk
Meds may have saved him
( :28 )
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Heart Drugs
"I take so many now"
( :53 )
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Regrets About Drug Compliance
Don't make his mistakes
( :39 )
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I Haven't Touched Butter in Years
Eating healthy isn't enough
( :48 )
Share Your Thoughts
Do you want to avoid taking statins?
Mike, who recently had a heart attack, shares one of his biggest regrets: Skipping his statin because he didn't think he needed it. When it comes to medications for the heart, skipping doses can be costly. It’s estimated that thousands of Americans have avoidable heart attacks each year because they neglect to take the cholesterol-lowering statins prescribed by their doctors consistently. A 2007 study of heart patients suggested that skimping on prescribed medications can double the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular events.