Just when you’ve thought you’ve seen everything, along comes a big old surprise. Via MSNBC, scientists from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London have calculated that the reduction in heart disease risk offered by a statin could offset the increase in risk from eating a cheeseburger and a milkshake.

A statin, as we all know, is a drug used to lower plasma cholesterol levels in humans. And obviously, it’s better to skip that trip to the burger joint. However, sometimes it’s the only option, and in those cases researchers find that just as a calorie-laden combo meal cranks up the risk to your heart, a statin will decrease that. Essentially, it cancels it.

However, for those of you rubbing your hands together with glee, there are a few words of caution:

“Statins are a vital medicine for people with — or at high risk of developing — heart disease,” [Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) health charity] said. “They are not a magic bullet.”

Food for thought, that’s for sure!

heart disease