Diabetics can prevent heart disease and live longer by taking the anti-cholesterol drug Atorvastatin, even if they do not have particularly high cholesterol levels, a study published on Friday said. Atorvastatin is normally given to patients with high levels of LDL-cholesterol -- a “lipid” or fatty chemical -- in their blood, to reduce the risk of heart problems associated with too much cholesterol. But the study, in the British medical journal the Lancet, showed the drug can prevent heart disease and save lives when given to type 2 diabetics even with normal cholesterol levels.
