I ALSO want to not be a statin-skeptic but, like you, these things look very weird to me. The most prescribed drugs in the country and we don't even try to check if they are addressing the actual problem?
We have checked to see if they are addressing the problem more than probably any drug in history. The idea that we haven't is the result of skeptics cherry picking results that back up their point while ignoring the huge quantities of evidence supporting the efficacy of statins and other LDL lowering medications like ezetimibe, pcks9 inhibitors, etc.
Statins are so good at what they do they even reduce the risk in people who are already at low risk for heart disease.
That's fair. I know a lot of generic drugs are imported too, so maybe there isn't much pressure within the USA there. Unless the big domestic pharmaceutical companies are still making a lot of money on it even if generic options exist? I don't know.