Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins could benefit most patients at risk of heart attacks or strokes, not just those with high cholesterol levels, say researchers.

In a study published online in The lancet, Dr Colin Baigent, from the Clinical Trial Service Unit at Oxford University in the UK, and colleagues assessed data from 14 trials of statins involving more than 90,000 participants.

They found that, regardless of cholesterol levels before starting treatment with statins, every 1 mmol/l reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad" cholesterol, after the start of treatment reduced the 5-year incidence of heart attacks and strokes by around a fifth.

Furthermore, there was no evidence that lowering LDL cholesterol with statins was associated with an increased risk of cancer, as has previously been suggested.

The findings indicate that starting many more people on statin treatment than are currently receiving these drugs could prove beneficial.

Dr Baignet said: "What matters most is that doctors identify all patients at risk of a heart attack or stroke, largely ignoring their presenting blood cholesterol level, and then prescribe a statin at a daily dose that reduces their cholesterol substantially."

Study researcher Professor Anthony Keech, from the Australian National Health Medical Research Council in Sydney, added: "Statins are often prescribed in relatively small doses which may only reduce cholesterol modestly.

"Our results indicate that the benefits of statins appear directly proportional to the size of the reduction in cholesterol produced by treatment, so bigger cholesterol reductions with more intensive treatment regimens would lead to greater benefits."