The National Heart Foundation of Australia has urged those Australians who take statins to reduce their cholesterol to keep taking their medication until they can discuss any concerns with their doctor.

Fairfax newspapers report today that Australian health authorities are reviewing their advice after US regulators announced statins will now carry warnings they could increase the risk of diabetes and cognitive impairment.

Statins are the most commonly prescribed drugs in Australia.

"High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, the number one killer of Australians," Dr Robert Grenfell, National Clinical Issues Director for the Heart Foundation, said today.

"If you have high cholesterol it is more likely that your arteries are getting blocked and you may have a heart attack.

"One in three Australians aged 30-65 - or more than 3.5 million of us - have been told by a doctor they have high cholesterol.

"For some this can be managed by lifestyle changes like being more active and losing weight, but for others medication is life saving.

The Heart Foundation estimates that there are another 700,000 Australians who may have high cholesterol and not know it because they don't know what their cholesterol levels are.

"We want everyone 45 and over (35 if you are indigenous) to get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked and discuss how to manage these with their doctor," Dr Grenfell said.

Information from the Heart Foundation on how to lower your cholesterol is available at

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/fats/Pages/cholesterol.aspx or by calling our Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87.

Source: Heart Foundation