Statins: The Cholesterol Revolution

Statins are among the most prescribed medications in history. Lovastatin, the first commercial statin, was approved in 1987. Atorvastatin or Lipitor became the best selling drug of all time, generating over 125 billion dollars.

Statins work by inhibiting HMG CoA reductase, reducing cholesterol production in the liver. Large clinical trials consistently show that statins substantially reduce heart attacks and strokes in people at raised cardiovascular risk. Despite conspiracy theories about statin safety, the evidence is overwhelming.

Statins have prevented millions of heart attacks and extended millions of lives..