Sorting Out Statins, Wonder Drug? (Click for more): "They've been called wonder drugs, healing ailments from heart disease to Alzheimer's disease.

But who should be on a statin?

About 11 million Americans take cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, one of the nation's most widely-sold drugs. Some doctors say they're over-prescribed while others say they're not prescribed enough.

Elaine Overton's cholesterol was 260, so her doctor put her on Lipitor to lower her cholesterol.

'My cholesterol dropped about 100 points in about six weeks' time really remarkable,'Overton said.

Statins can lower cholesterol by 40 percent and prevent heart attacks. The newest research shows they also reduce the risk of a second stroke by 16 percent.

'If anything, they're under-prescribed,' said Dr. K. Michael Welch, neurologist in the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago. 'They certainly have been under-prescribed for stroke.'

Current guidelines say that patients should use a statin if their cholesterol is higher than 190 or if they have other risk factors like heart disease. If they have diabetes, they should be on one even if their cholesterol is normal..."