Hi, I have been doing some more research into statins. It appears that there are four different types of statins. Simvastatin is prescribed in the UK because it is extremely cheap and it has proved to be effective. In countries like Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland Rosuvastatin is prescribed as a better alternative. 10mg dose of Rosuvastatin has a better effect than 40 mg dose of Simvastatin, it is more expensive (not sure how much more) and it does not cause muscle pains, it can cause kidney problems though. It is believed to have fewer or milder side effects all in all. It is also important to acknowledge that statins have a dual role. The first role is to lower cholesterol levels, but the second one is to stabilise the "fatty" plaque that deposits inside the arteries as a result of high cholesterol. If this unstable plaque breaks off it can travel further down the arteries and cause a blockage that can lead to a heart attack if it is in the coronary arteries, or to a stroke if the arteries are in your neck. What it means is that even if your cholesterol appears to stay within the correct levels, there may be plaque built up in your arteries as a result of ageing as well as other medical conditions. Preventing this plaque from breaking off is worth considering. The question is which statins to take and in what quantities. If you google "simvastatin or rosuvastatin" images, you will find many tables, graphs and diagrams comparing the four statins. Interesting read. Notice that increasing simvastatin dose from 20mg to 40mg reduces your cholesterol only by a further 10%.
