The whole statin industry is based on assumptions because the material causing arterial blockage is made of cholesterol -- but some research is now suggesting it's not the cholesterol levels but the SIZE of the particles that cause blockage (smaller particles being more likely to cause blockages). In other words, people with very high levels can have squeaky clean arteries but others with lower levels can have blockages.

Statins are great for the drug industry. If doctors believed patients were capable of changing their health through diet they would be recommending that -- but the fact is most doctors in the US eat the same diet as the rest of the population (high in animal fats and animal proteins) so they're uneducated about how to make that change, and they assume the same about their patients.... so "here's a prescription, take this pill" is a convenient means to make a change. The only problem is the use of statins has not been proven to reduce heart attacks to any significant extent, and there are known side-effects that are clearly detrimental.