Under the new guidelines, physicians should prescribe statin medications to all patients with high odds of suffering a heart attack or stroke in the short-term — that is, those who have had such an event already, patients with Type 2 diabetes, and those with exceptionally high levels of LDL cholesterol linked to familial risk. But the guidelines also recommend that patients with a 7.5% risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack over the next decade be prescribed statin medication as well.