Cholesterol Drug Reverses Heart Disease

[muckshifter]

Cholesterol Drug Reverses Heart Disease

Mar 13, 11:11 AM (ET)

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE

ATLANTA (AP) - People in a new study got their "bad cholesterol" to the lowest levels ever seen and saw blockages in their blood vessels shrink by taking a high dose of cholesterol drug, researchers reported Monday.

Doctors say it is the best evidence yet that heart disease actually can be reversed, not just kept from getting worse.

Two-thirds of the 349 study participants had regression of heart artery buildups when they took the maximum dose of Crestor, the strongest of the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs on the market and one under fire by a consumer group that contends it has more side effects than its competitors.

It's too soon to tell whether this shrinkage of artery blockages will result in fewer heart attacks, but doctors were excited by the possibility.

"The holy grail has always been to try to reverse the disease," and this shows a way to do that, said Dr. Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who led the research and reported results at the American College of Cardiology meeting.

The study was paid for by AstraZeneca PLC (AZN), the maker of Crestor, a drug that a consumer group has been lobbying to have pulled from the market. Some reports have linked Crestor to higher rates of serious muscle problems and kidney damage, especially among Asians.

The Food and Drug Administration last year refused to order the drug off the market but required a warning of the side effects on its label.

In the study, Crestor got people's LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels to around 60 milligrams per deciliter of blood, down from roughly 130 at the start of the experiment. HDL or "good cholesterol" levels rose modestly, from 43 to 49.

"The body needs about 40 LDL, so we're getting pretty close to what the body needs for general repair," said Dr. Christopher O'Connor, a Duke University cardiologist who had no role in the study.

Study results were released Monday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, which will publish it in its April 5 edition.

Intersting ... I'm on Crestor, 10mg a day ... we have two kidneys don't we.

 

[ChristopherP]

especially among Asians

i thought humans were humans

 

[cirianz]

Yes, but that doesn't make us identical.

You had a chat to your Dr about it yet mucks? Sounds very hopeful. Make sure you take the article with you. I do a lot of medical research & there can often be major advances & your GP won't hear of them for months simply because of the bulk of medical journals they have to keep up with.
Dialysis aint a fun way to spend the day though so be careful, we sort of fond of you around here

 

[muckshifter]

Yes, but that doesn't make us identical.

You had a chat to your Dr about it yet mucks? Sounds very hopeful. Make sure you take the article with you. I do a lot of medical research & there can often be major advances & your GP won't hear of them for months simply because of the bulk of medical journals they have to keep up with.
Dialysis aint a fun way to spend the day though so be careful, we sort of fond of you around here

Oh no, I ain't messing around with any pills ... take too many already, when I remeber.

I read one of the leaflets that you get in the box once ... the possible "side effects" were just as bad as the treatment ...

Funny enough, just had the Vampire Nurse take blood on Monday ... every month I have it done ... I did notice the "ticks" in the boxes and one is for Kidney/Liver ... so I'll leave it upto the experts to advise me.

 

[Anon_F]

drugs

Often a new drug is announced before trials have been done and you find out that it's great for what it's designed for but also the side effects can do damage somewhere else.

 

[exmoor]

drugs?

There are always downsides to taking certain medicines. I know years ago when working on a farm we used ketermin which was used to subdue large bulls or cows prior to the vet looking at them. Now some people take it to get high, but it's a bovine drug and not suited for humans!! Those who take it are going to have serious side effects in years to come, one being the need to take viagra to get it up

 

[marleyuk]

Haha i know quite a few people that have used Ket. I think its a once in a life time thing. As in once youve used it, you know best never to touch it again.

That pill for Cholesterol hasnt been proven yet. I saw it on the news this morning, they raved about it then pointed out it might not make any actual difference.

I love the news.

 

[ChristopherP]

Its only a maximum of 9% reduction aswell - and the cost of that is putting liver and kidneys at risk!!

 

[CITech]

After listening to the BBC news this morning, they weren't quite so convinced about its effectiveness.

Apparently they are basing the benefits on a large multiple of what is normally given and as a result the realistic benefit was estimated at more like 1%

But I guess that could be enough to make a difference for someone who is that close to the line.