According to reports, the UK medicines advisory body NICE is to recommend that state healthcare provider the National Health Service (NHS) offer cholesterol-lowering statins free of charge. Under the new guidelines, the NHS will prescribe the drug to anyone at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Medical professionals estimate that the new ruling will double the number of people currently using statins to 3.4mn. The increased provision of these drugs is expected to cost the NHS between GBP55mn (US$98.48mn) and GBP82mn (US$146.77mn) extra per year. However, officials claim long-term savings will be made from reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disorders. In addition, a number of leading statins are nearing patent expiry and generic competition could cut prices.

The move by the NHS reflects a growing trend towards the prevention rather than treatment of illness. Cardiovascular disease is the single biggest killer in UK, accounting for 238,000 deaths per year. Studies claim that the use of statins -- the world's most lucrative therapeutic class -- can cut deaths by 21%.