Hi slynnb, You're getting me started. I have a particular beef where statins are concerned. My pharmacist told me that years ago the 'normal' level of cholesterol was a certain number. Then Big Pharma reduced what is considered normal. Then it reduced it yet again!...so that today 44% of men over 60 in the US are on statins! They are not innocuous chemicals. There are side effects such as memory loss, muscle loss, liver damage...
Big Pharma is very aggressive and powerful in the US. If a doctor doesn't toe the line and prescribe to their standard, they can be in major trouble. A doctor cannot take the chance of an impact on his career by NOT prescribing statins to everyone whose cholesterol is above Big Parma's 'normal' standard.
The European Society of Cardiology and the European Atherosclerosis Society recommend that only 15% of people 60+ be on statins. Apparently now it is not cholesterol that one should be monitoring to prevent heart attacks and strokes but one's C reactive protein. My husband who has always had very high cholesterol (and who refuses to take statins like his siblings do) has his CRP monitored regularly and because he eats a very healthy diet AND is a big walker, it is normal.
Here is a Canadian documentary that explains that ONLY a man in his forties who has had a heart attack should be on statins.
https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/the-cholesterol-question
And that is my anti Big Pharma rant for the day! LOL