Zocor

All were already taking a statin such as Lipitor or Zocor to lower cholesterol.

It is also slightly more conservative when it comes to determining the benefits of taking the medications, which include Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor.

Roughly a quarter of Americans aged 45 and older already take statins, which include familiar brands such as Lipitor and Zocor.

The new guidelines focus more specifically on the use of statins -- drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor -- to prevent heart disease by lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol.

The most widely used statins are the generic equivalents of Lipitor and Zocor.