I've received several emails from people asking whether their statin therapy for high cholesterol is putting them at risk for breast cancer.

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has provided a more definitive answer.

Postmenopausal women who use statin drugs have the same risk of breast cancer as those who do not. The authors of the study found that when all statins were considered together, statin use did not affect a person's risk of invasive breast cancer.

Use of statins known as hydrophobic statins (Lipitor [atorvastatin] is one) was actually associated with an 18 percent decreased risk of breast cancer. This is good news.

If your doctor recommends that you take cholesterol-lowering medication, you can do so without fear that it will increase your risk of developing breast cancer.