Some medications that are used to lower a person’s cholesterol may not be necessary, according to a recent study conducted at Johns Hopkins University.

The researchers analyzed the effects that statin-RX had on individuals with high cholesterol and calcium buildup in their arteries. This was compared to healthy participants who were taking statin as a precaution to protect their coronary arteries.

It was noted that 95 percent of all heart attacks, strokes or other heart-related deaths occurred in half of the participants who had some buildup of artery-hardening calcium.

The results showed that statin medications would not have prevented heart complications among the healthy subjects who had taken the drugs as a precaution.

Roger Blumenthal, the study’s co-investigator, said that “statin therapy should not be approached like diet and exercise as a broadly based solution for preventing coronary heart disease.”

The scientists indicate that healthy individuals who do not have significant calcium buildups should focus on positive lifestyle changes, which includes eating healthy, as opposed to the early use of medications, like statin.

Maintaining an active lifestyle and consuming foods that are high in fiber or polyunsaturated fats are healthy ways that individuals could lower their cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.