I love some of the "arguements" above which are totally vacuous: statins don't work because doctors are greedy! Huh? Numerous studies have shown the benefit of statins in many patient populations, usually a reduction in cardiovascular-related deaths as well as other problems (a stroke that you survive may not be so pretty!). Starting a statin immediately when you have a heart attack reduces the in-hospital mortality rate, as does taking an aspirin.

There are few guarantees in life. In medicine, there are many "odds". Sure, many people smoke without every getting lung cancer -- just the risk is markedly increased with smoking. And high LDL ("bad") cholesterol doesn't guarantee a heart attack -- but the risk is increased with increasing LDL. 1/3 of first heart attacks are fatal. And there are all the other nasty complications of cardiovascular disease: stroke, erectile dysfunction (uggg), circulatory problems.

With regard to risks, I don't worry about dying or getting injured while driving. But you can be damned sure I always fasten my seat belt, and have a car with front & side airbags.