Some heart benefits from cholesterol drugs like statins might come from how they reduce inflammation and blood clots—not just from lowering bad cholesterol. For some people, markers of inflammation...

For people at very high risk of heart problems, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins plus another drug called ezetimibe lowers bad cholesterol more than taking statins alone — by about 13 points on average — and helps them hit their cholesterol targets better.

If someone with heart disease already has low 'bad' cholesterol on standard statin pills, stepping up their treatment might cut their risk of heart attacks or strokes by almost half.

For people with heart disease caused by clogged arteries, taking a moderate-strength cholesterol drug plus another pill called ezetimibe lowers bad cholesterol more than taking a strong cholesterol pill alone — just a little, but it's a real difference.

For people with heart disease from clogged arteries, taking a moderate statin plus a drug called ezetimibe might lower cholesterol and triglycerides more than taking a strong statin alone.

Taking statins to lower your 'bad' cholesterol by a specific amount can cut your chance of having a heart attack or stroke by about 1 in 5—even if you’ve never had heart problems before and are considered low risk.