By 2032, the worldwide statin market will hit $22 billion, with generic forms accounting for around 70% of sales. Today in the U.S., around 818 million prescriptions are written annually for the drugs, with atorvastatin accounting for 36% of all scrips.

So it's great to learn that atorvastatin and another popular form, rosuvastatin, are more or less equally effective at reducing risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause.

But there are some significant differences that may be of interest to people with prediabetes or diabetes, as well as those at risk for cataracts. 

A study in BMJ evaluated more than 4,000 people ages 55 to 75 for three years and found that rosuvastatin lowers bad LDL cholesterol levels a bit better than atorvastatin. But it may come with an increased association for diabetes and cataracts.

While 5.3% of the study participants on atorvastatin developed diabetes (requiring medication), 7.2% of those taking rosuvastatin did. And 1.5% on atorvastatin had cataract surgery, while 2.5% on rosuvastatin did.

Clearly, it's important to discuss the pros and cons of particular statins with your doctor. But here's another idea: Re-engineer your life so that you avoid high LDL cholesterol and lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia.

Using science-based techniques for improved, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and creating a posse and a purpose, you can stay heart-healthy for decades to come.

But however you do it, you need to get your LDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein B levels below 70 mg/dL.