Editorial: Heart drug study merits caution
Editorial: Heart drug study merits caution
Last update: November 10, 2008 - 6:11 PM
With heart disease the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women — killing about 450,000 people each year — it’s no wonder that any potential treatment advance is greeted with enthusiasm and headlines. That was the case when a team of researchers led by a Harvard Medical School cardiologist released a new study of the drug Crestor at an American Heart Association annual meeting on Sunday. Although the findings are significant, there are some important caveats.
Crestor is a statin drug and belongs to the same well-known pharmaceutical family as Lipitor, Zocor and Mevacor — drugs already taken by an estimated 16 million to 20 million Americans. In a massive study of nearly 18,000 people — research funded by Crestor’s maker, — researchers found that the drug cut the risk of cardiovascular death by 20 percent in people who did not have high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, but did have high levels of a protein considered a gauge of heart disease risk.
About half of heart attacks occur in those who have levels of LDL cholesterol currently considered acceptable. The study suggests that Crestor and other statin drugs could be used even more aggressively to prevent heart disease in millions more people. “It’s absolutely paradigm-shifting,’’ Dr. Steven E. Nissen, a well-respected Cleveland Clinic heart specialist, told the Los Angeles Times.
Experts were already updating treatment guidelines. It’s likely that the new ones — issued next year — will reflect this study’s findings by expanding the universe of people who should use the drugs.
With all the excitement, it’s no wonder that a crowded Monday morning session at the American Heart Association meeting had the tongue-in-cheek title of “Statins in the Water? Responsible use of Lipid-Modifying Drugs.’’ No one, of course, is seriously considering adding the drugs to the water supply like fluoride....
I wouldn't put it past them to try to do it this way. Anyway it is no wonder so many Americans do die each year with heart disease going by the size of them. Losing weight and more exercise would achieve better results.
Last update: November 10, 2008 - 6:11 PM
With heart disease the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women — killing about 450,000 people each year — it’s no wonder that any potential treatment advance is greeted with enthusiasm and headlines. That was the case when a team of researchers led by a Harvard Medical School cardiologist released a new study of the drug Crestor at an American Heart Association annual meeting on Sunday. Although the findings are significant, there are some important caveats.
Crestor is a statin drug and belongs to the same well-known pharmaceutical family as Lipitor, Zocor and Mevacor — drugs already taken by an estimated 16 million to 20 million Americans. In a massive study of nearly 18,000 people — research funded by Crestor’s maker, — researchers found that the drug cut the risk of cardiovascular death by 20 percent in people who did not have high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, but did have high levels of a protein considered a gauge of heart disease risk.
About half of heart attacks occur in those who have levels of LDL cholesterol currently considered acceptable. The study suggests that Crestor and other statin drugs could be used even more aggressively to prevent heart disease in millions more people. “It’s absolutely paradigm-shifting,’’ Dr. Steven E. Nissen, a well-respected Cleveland Clinic heart specialist, told the Los Angeles Times.
Experts were already updating treatment guidelines. It’s likely that the new ones — issued next year — will reflect this study’s findings by expanding the universe of people who should use the drugs.
With all the excitement, it’s no wonder that a crowded Monday morning session at the American Heart Association meeting had the tongue-in-cheek title of “Statins in the Water? Responsible use of Lipid-Modifying Drugs.’’ No one, of course, is seriously considering adding the drugs to the water supply like fluoride....
I wouldn't put it past them to try to do it this way. Anyway it is no wonder so many Americans do die each year with heart disease going by the size of them. Losing weight and more exercise would achieve better results.
posted by Bill at
9:53 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home