Posted Sunday, November 9, 2008 --- 11:05 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) --- A large study suggests a cholesterol drug dramatically lowers the risk of heart attack in people normally not considered to be at high risk.

The results, reported Sunday at an American Heart Association conference, are being hailed as a watershed event in heart disease prevention.

The study found that people with low cholesterol and no big risk for heart disease dramatically lowered their chances of dying or having a heart attack if they took Crestor.

Doctors said the study might lead as many as 7 million more Americans to consider taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

But some caution that treatment could cost up to $9 billion a year for people who have relatively few heart attacks to begin with.

Statins have already been shown to cut the risk of heart attacks and death in people with high cholesterol.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.