If you found out that a medication you had been taking for years was much less effective than previously advertised, would you keep taking it? An estimated 20 to 30 percent of Americans over the age of 45 takes a statin for high cholesterol, a history of heart attack or stroke, or to prevent a cardiovascular event. Once a patient starts a statin, provided that they don't experience side effects, they usually continue taking it for life. The medication lists of nursing home residents almost invariably include statins. Statin prescribing has been overwhelmingly positive for population health; a recent study credited them with closing the gap in cardiovascular risk factors between middle-aged adults with obesity and those with normal weight. Ultimately, though, an individual reaches a point where a statin is likely to cause more harm than benefit, even if the harm is having to take one extra medication that costs as little as 30 cents per day . An expert panel at Deprescribing.org, ...