By Patricia Yarberry Allen, MD and Timothy C. Dutta, MD, FACC

Aside from preventing a heart attack in the short run, statins also slow, or even stop, the gradual formation of plaque that narrows the coronary arteries over a span of decades. Since there is almost no chance of getting rid of plaque once it is there, why not get a head start on prevention by starting the medication earlier, before the plaque forms?