Most patients with type 2 diabetes should take statins to help prevent heart disease, whether or not they have high cholesterol concentrations, new guidelines say.

The recommendations, from the American College of Physicians, call for moderate doses of statins for people with diabetes who are older than 55 and for younger patients who have any other risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or a history of smoking (Annals of Internal Medicine2004;140:644-9). The guidelines are based on the results of six studies of primary prevention and eight trials of secondary prevention in patients with diabetes.

“Given the markedly elevated risk for cardiovascular events …