Cholesterol Control: A Proven Strategy to Prevent Costly Health Events

Maintaining target cholesterol levels throughout life helps prevent heart attacks, strokes, and dementia. Regular monitoring and appropriate treatment reduce the risk of future hospitalization and skilled nursing facility care. Statin drugs are an effective and widely available tool to help individuals reach cholesterol goals when diet and exercise alone are not enough. Despite ongoing and popular misinformation, strong evidence continues to show that statins are safe and effective, and that most commonly reported side effects are not actually caused by the medication itself (The Lancet et al., 2026). The long-term cardiovascular and cognitive protection statins provide far outweigh their risks. Ensuring members receive accurate, evidence-based information like this should be a priority for every benefits team. Educated members are more likely to engage in preventive care, adhere to appropriate treatment, and avoid costly and life-altering complications. Supporting cholesterol management is one of the most reliable ways benefits leaders can improve population health, reduce future inpatient utilization, and protect both quality of life and financial outcomes.

The Lancet. (2026). Assessment of adverse effects attributed to statin therapy in product labels: A meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials. The Lancet, 407(10529). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01578-8