A panel that advises the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor be prescribed to patients with healthy cholesterol levels, saying the drug can help prevent heart attack, stroke, and death. The FDA panel members say the benefits of Crestor outweigh the risks it may pose to people with normal cholesterol levels and no history of heart disease. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its expert panels, but it normally does.