Two recently released studies suggest that statins (such as Simvastatin, Pravastatin, Lovastatin, Lipitor and Crestor), when prescribed to lower cholesterol, do not prolong life in healthy patients at high risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

In the first study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, United Kingdom scientists analyzed mortality rates of more than 65,000 people, half of whom were treated with statins. All participants were considered at high risk of heart disease and had elevated cholesterol levels. Although life expectancy was no different in either group, the patients taking statins experienced a 55 percent reduction in the risk of nonfatal heart attacks and a 45 percent reduction in nonfatal strokes. In other words, the patients who took statins did not live any longer, but they were less likely to be disabled either from a stroke or heart failure.

Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, an even more alarming analysis revealed flaws in a well-respected study that showed the benefit of prescribing statins to patients who had an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) but normal cholesterol. The CRP is a marker of inflammation — when elevated it's known to be a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

This initial study led to a change in practice, and even more patients were placed on the most expensive statin (Crestor), which was used in the study to help reduce heart attack risk. Researchers from France re-examined the information and felt that the benefits were overstated and the outcomes flawed. Because the maker of Crestor sponsored the study and the lead author, Dr. Paul Ridker, has a patent on the CRP test, the French researchers raised serious concerns that bias may have affected the results.

This new information on statins highlights a recurring theme in modern medicine — science always changes and interpreting medical studies can be confusing. Over time the benefits of any particular therapy, often thought to be unequivocal, will become open to question.

Currently, there is a consensus among physicians that anyone with elevated cholesterol, particularly an elevation of the bad or LDL cholesterol, should be treated to reduce the level to acceptable values. Men and women in their 40s with no other risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strong family history) are being treated with statins, contributing significantly to the $26 billion spent annually on such treatment.

With this new information, however, many physicians will likely choose to be less liberal with statin prescriptions. But there is still some evidence that for those at very high risk of heart disease, treatment with a statin will reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes that are nonfatal.

If you are a man or postmenopausal woman with diabetes, hypertension, a history of smoking, a strong family history of heart disease and an elevated cholesterol, treatment with a generic statin is rational. On the other hand, if you have no risk factors and your cholesterol is only minimally increased, treatment with a statin may not be needed.

No matter your risk factor, the solution to a better and perhaps a longer life will never ever be improved by drug therapy. The fountain of youth will never come in pill form. First and foremost, the key to longevity is a commitment to a lifelong pursuit of health.

If your cholesterol is minimally elevated, diet and exercise often will not only lower the value to normal, but it will improve your blood pressure, reduce your risk of diabetes and perhaps even prolong your life. Add to the mix by maintaining low stress and having a full and passionate life. By doing all of this, you can rest assured that the quality of your life will be better — even if the quantity is unchanged.

Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the books, "Breaking the Rules of Aging" and "Dr. David's First Health Book of More Not Less." To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. More information is available at www.DrDavidHealth.com.