The cholesterol lowering drugs called statins are some of the most heavily prescribed drugs in the world. Now, research published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention has shown that long term statin use in women aged between 55 and 74 years seems to raise the risk of both ductal and lobular breast cancer. In the past, researchers thought that statin use would reduce the risk of breast cancer. However this turned out not to be the case. The truth is actually the opposite. In this study scientists analysed 916 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 1,068 invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) cases in women aged  55 to 74 years, who were diagnosed between the years 2000 and 2008. These cases were compared with 902 control women who did not have breast cancer. All of the study participants were interviewed in person and all instances of cholesterol lowering medication use were collected via a structured questionnaire. Among women who were currently taking statins and had been on them for at least 10 years, they were twice as likely to develop both ductal and lobular breast cancer as women who had never used statins. That’s white a significant risk, especially considering how frighteningly prevalent breast cancer is. Is it worth the risk, especially when you consider that the benefits of statins in older women are questionable? High cholesterol can be a serious problem, especially when combined with high triglycerides and high blood sugar. These are manifestations of insulin resistance. Taking a cholesterol lowering drug does not address the condition well, and can lead to serious adverse effects. Please do not discontinue any medication without discussing the matter with your doctor. We like to provide you with information so that you can make an informed decision about your health. For more information about cholesterol please see our book Cholesterol: The Real Truth. Reference