My doctor has been trying to get me on statins for years. The risks are not worth the limited benefits.

It is advised to consider all the risk factors before taking statins. The only risk factor I have is high total cholesterol (244) and one of the other values (I forget, either LDL or HDL)

My BP is 116/75
Blood sugar about 80 to 90
No history of heart disease in family

In fact, my mother is 87 with similar cholesterol levels and a good heart.

The reason to lower cholesterol is tied to a combination of the risk factors. High blood pressure and high blood glucose are the key problems. The arteries get strained by the high BP causing microscopic fissures in the arterial walls. The mix of cholesterol and high blood sugar causes plaques to anchor to these fissures. If the blood glucose is normal, this does not happen. If the blood pressure is normal, the fissures do not appear.

So, controlling BP and blood glucose are the more important factors.

btw, My father was a life time eater of saturated fat foods. His total cholesterol stayed below 140. He died of dementia related to Central Sleep Apnea at 78 with a very healthy heart.