Statins are proven effective in reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease, but some studies suggests that after age 75, the risks outweigh the benefits. Now new research has found that stopping the drugs may be a bad idea.

The retrospective study, published in the European Heart Journal, included 120,173 people who turned 75 while taking statins. None had any heart problems.

Over two years, 5,396 were hospitalized for cardiovascular disease and 17,204 stopped their pills. They stopped for various reasons, most often because they were hospitalized or admitted to a skilled nursing facility during the course of the study.

Compared with those who continued their medication, those who stopped had a 46 percent increased risk for a coronary problem like heart attack or heart failure, and a 26 percent increased risk for stroke.