Chinese red yeast may provide some benefit in lowering cholesterol without the side effects of statin drugs:

"Q. People often complain about the side effects of statin drugs they take for high cholesterol. My former doctor prescribed each of the statin drugs for me. They all caused soreness, muscle weakness, joint pain and an extreme reaction to sunlight.
When I went to a new doctor, he asked why I had been given all five statin drugs. I told him each drug caused bad side effects, but then the doctor would try another.

The new doctor said such reactions are common among fair-haired, fair-skinned people. He suggested red yeast rice capsules instead. It lowered my cholesterol 60 points (220 down to 160), with no side effects.

A. Red yeast rice is a Chinese flavoring agent and botanical medicine. It often lowers cholesterol quite well, in part because it contains statin-like compounds.
Some people experience side effects even with this natural medicine. One reader wrote: "I cannot take conventional statin drugs. I've tried three different brands and got achy muscles from all of them. So I tried red yeast rice. Within a few weeks, I got the same muscle pain, although not quite as severe.""