The benefits of cholesterol-lowering therapy in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for people with diabetes and high cholesterol levels had already been suggested by sub-group analysis of some earlier studies. However, there was still substantial uncertainty as to what extent cholesterol-lowering therapy could prove beneficial in people with diabetes presenting more normal lipid levels, despite the high incidence of cardiovascular events in this group. While irrefutably confirming the results of past studies, the recent Heart Protection Study has also cast new light on the advantages of the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs in a wider range of people at high risk of CVD. This article aims to examine the main findings of the study and its implications for diabetes healthcare.