Passage Summary: A drug designed to lower cholesterol actually works, but the people who take it still end up with higher cholesterol than other people their age.

Reasoning: The medication is generally effective at lowering cholesterol, yet a study shows that people taking it have cholesterol levels 12 to 15 percent higher than the average for their age group.

Analysis: The paradox here is a classic comparison between an individual's improvement and their standing relative to a group. We are told the drug is effective, which implies it successfully lowers the user's cholesterol from where it started. To resolve why these users are still above the average, look for an answer that explains the starting point of the patients. If people are only prescribed this medication because their cholesterol is dangerously high to begin with, they could see a significant drop and still remain above the population mean.