Statins help make dangerous artery gunk less likely to burst by calming down the inflammation inside it.

Statins do not induce significant regression of established atherosclerotic plaque but reduce plaque progression and enhance plaque stability by lowering LDL cholesterol exposure to arterial walls.

Stronger statins seem to calm artery inflammation better than weaker ones, based on scans that show how much sugar inflamed cells are using.

Taking statin pills for over a year can shrink the fatty, dangerous core inside artery plaques in the neck, making them less likely to rupture and cause a stroke.

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 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.