My husband is having his mitral valve repaired in a few days. He went in for a pre-op angiogram, and they discovered that one of his arteries is 80% blocked, so they want to do bypass surgery as well. The doctor prescribed Lipitor, then at our request changed it to a generic, and told my husband to start taking it immediately. I understand that statins lower cholesterol. I also understand they do that by inhibiting liver function and that they can have side effects. My husband has low cholesterol, fairly low blood pressure, is fit, and his diet is heart healthy. 1)Should he start this medication now when he is facing surgery in just a few days 2)Why does he need it at all with low cholesterol? Couldn't it be that he is just genetically predisposed and that the blockage is not caused by cholesterol--in which case, why take the statin?