Half of heart attacks and strokes happen among apparently healthy men and women with normal or low levels of cholesterol. The findings of a new study prompted researchers to state that healthy people with an elevated level of a protein that has been linked to heart disease should be given a daily dose of the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins in order to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases.

The study, called Jupiter, found that people with high levels of the protein called CRP who took Crestor were 50 percent less likely to suffer a stroke, need angioplasty or bypass surgery and were about 20 percent less likely to die of heart disease. The study was based on the premise that people with higher CRP levels have an increased risk of heart disease.

“Physicians can no longer assume that patients are at low risk for heart disease simply because they have low cholesterol. We have confirmed that patients with increased hsCRP are at high risk even if cholesterol levels are low, and we now have evidence that a simple and safe therapy cuts that risk and saves lives,” said Paul Ridker, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women's Hospital and lead author of the study. CRP is a phase protein produced by the liver and by the adipocytes. Elevated levels of the protein may indicate an inflammation that can be associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Millions of Americans take statins to reduce bad cholesterol, but the study suggests that millions more persons should be given statins. Doctors may prescribe statins for seemingly healthy people if they have other factors that put them at risk of heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If your high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) is high, you should take statins regardless of your cholesterol level, said Dr. James Willerson, director of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

Statins, the top-selling drugs in the United States, are usually prescribed to reduce heart risk in people with underlying heart conditions by lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The drugs work by blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA-reductase, which is needed by the body to make cholesterol. These drugs have side effects, including muscle weakening, that can be dangerous in some cases. Besides reducing the heart risk, the cholesterol-lowering drugs were shown to slow down age-related memory loss and dementia.

The study presented last week at the American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans highlights the importance of heart disease prevention. Doctors, however, even the authors of the Brigham study, cautioned against choosing statins as the sole solution. There are some other steps you can take to avoid heart disease: don’t smoke, get regular exercise and eat healthy foods. Experts say that when it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Tobacco smoke is risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke. Regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease by nearly a quarter. Studies have shown a healthy diet, with lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, by lowering the inflammation levels as measured by the high-sensitive C-reactive protein test.