The benefits are that it lowers LDL, HDL and triglycerides, which improves lipid profile in general. It also increases levels of good fats called omega 3 fatty acids, but these effects can take as long as 6 months or longer for some people. I was taking another statin drug before switching over to Esperion and I have noticed improved health overall. There's not much downside right now; however, more research needs to be done into its side effect profiles. While there isn't any significant evidence of bad effects so far, we really haven’t seen enough time pass yet. We will just see how this new medication works out in the coming years if needed. My doctor first decided to put me on a different class of drugs before trying this one because she felt my current medicines were doing nothing at all. This seems to work well in lowering blood pressure.