In the UK, people between 40 and 70 who take statins tend to live a little longer than those who don’t — but only atorvastatin seems to make the difference; other statins don’t show the same benefit.

For people in the UK between 40 and 70 years old, taking atorvastatin (a cholesterol drug) is linked to a slightly lower risk of dying from any cause — but only up to a 20mg dose. Taking more, like 80mg, might actually increase the risk instead.

Even without niacin, statins alone can shrink plaque in the neck arteries of older adults with heart disease, as long as their bad cholesterol is kept low.

Taking statins to lower your 'bad' cholesterol by about 1 point (in mmol/L) can cut your risk of dying from heart problems by 12% and your overall risk of dying by 9%, without raising your risk of dying from other causes like cancer or accidents.

Even if you're not at high risk for a heart attack or stroke, taking statins can still cut your chances of serious heart or blood vessel problems by about the same amount as it does for people at high risk.

Taking statins to lower your 'bad' cholesterol by a small amount can cut your chance of having a stroke by about a quarter—even if you're not at high risk to begin with—and it works just as well for low-risk people as it does for high-risk ones.