Not that there’s anything wrong with statins; in fact, a July journal article that statins are unquestionably of use in lowering cholesterol. However, amongst the very elderly (those 79 and above), prescription of statins increased from 8.8% in 1999-2000, to 34.1% in 2011-12. The increase itself would be fine if there were clear benefits, but it seems to be widely used as primary prevention — amongst those with no history of coronary heart disease, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. And for that use in this population, it’s almost completely untested. So, if you’re taking statins purely for preventative purposes, you may want to ask your doctor again.
