It is believe that one key to living longer is lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and increasing good (HDL) cholesterol, but recent studies show that cholesterol levels that are too low could increase the chances of cancer. For the largest pharmaceutical market in the world and the companies who produce drugs there, this finding could mean that fewer people will begin using statins unless the need for them is serious.

Meanwhile researchers are worried that patients might stop using their statin-medicines and end up dying from a heart attack. Statins provide benefits like lower risk of heart attack and stroke, and evidence also suggests unexpected benefits, such as a lowered risk of death from influenza, pneumonia and the effects of smoking. Plus when patients begin to worry about cancer and stop taking their statins, drug companies start losing sales.

A recently released a study showed patients who took statin drugs and lowered cholesterol also had a higher risk of developing some cancers, although it didn't show a direct correlation that the statins themselves caused the cancer to develop. Cancer was found most frequently in patients that had lower levels of low density lipoprotein or so-called bad cholesterol when compared to patients with higher LDL levels, and also used statin medications.

Promoting the risk of cancer to those who don't need statins as a potentially life-saving therapy is creating a risk for lost profits for the largest pharmaceutical companies. Though they eventually might be shown to increase the risk of cancer, statin users who absolutely need them could overreact and stop using their medicine entirely. Educating patients of their need and possible side effects is the best way for pharmaceutical companies to keep the cholesterol market as profitable as it can be long into the future.