Statin drug shown to reverse plaque in arteries

[RedEarth]

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A cholesterol-lowering statin drug has for the first time been shown to reverse the build-up of plaque in coronary arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke, researchers said on Monday.

A study of more than 500 patients found that after two years of treatment with a high dose of AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor, plaque volume was reduced by 7 percent to 9 percent.

The drug also lowered levels of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol by more than 53 percent to 60.8 and raised levels of HDL, or "good," cholesterol by nearly 15 percent to an average of 49.

Crestor is considered to be one of the most powerful statin drugs, but it has been dogged by concerns about potential side effects such as muscle damage.



The changes in cholesterol levels seen in the latest study were the largest ever seen in a major trial of statin drugs, said researchers, who presented the results at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.

http://finance.myway.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?section=news&feed=bus&src=202&news_id=bus-n13276595&date=20060313

[RobertSeattle]

1. Or destroy your liver, whichever comse first :-)

I just hope there is so independent research going on to verify these results. There is so much money to be made in this statin area an ethically challenge researcher could fudge the results.

I think the problem with the Statins is that they all don't work for everyone's physiology. I took Crestor for a short while and had nasty side effects - I went back to Lipitor.

[GrumpyGreg]

2. I'm sticking with Lipitor also---no side effects at all !

[Warpy]

4. Actually, the kidneys are more at risk

and that's if rhabdomyolysis isn't caught quickly.

People who have that particular reaction may shrug it off as just being tired. Meanwhile, their muscles are being destroyed and the buildup of toxins in the blood starts to turn their urine brown as it destroys their kidneys. Yes, it can be fatal.

And yes, you're correct, they won't work for everyone. A few people may have problems with one but tolerate another.

Statins are great drugs for the people who really need them. However, all people taking them should be cautioned to be on the alert for any new muscle weakness, as that's the first sign of a very serious problem.

[RobertSeattle]

5. You are right - I meant kidney

When I took Crestor I got that "back ache" feeling. A few days after I went off it I was back to normal.

[RedOnce]

3. This is an important finding. I would like to see the study.