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HealthWatch: Cholesterol Medication

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Nov 10, 2008 6:39 pm US/Eastern

HealthWatch: Cholesterol Medication

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Stroke patient Jane Titus feels lucky to be alive after suffering a brainstem stroke over two years ago. After her ordeal, she started cholesterol-lowering medication immediately.

"I want to keep my cholesterol even lower than a normal person would," Titus said.

Now a groundbreaking new study finds statin drugs may help prevent strokes and heart attacks in patients who aren't at traditionally high risk. Statins are used by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol.

Researchers followed almost 18,000 patients with normal cholesterol and no history of heart attacks or strokes but they did have high levels of c-reactive protein.

"C-reactive protein is an inflammatory marker. That means that it measures if there is a degree or something in your body that's causing inflammation," said cardiologist Dr. Merle Myerson of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital.

Statins lower both cholesterol and inflammation, which can lead to clogged arteries that result in a heart attack or stroke.

The study, funded by the maker of crestor, found that statins lowered heart attacks by 54 percent, strokes by 48 percent, and deaths from both by 20 percent.

Even better, there was no increase in serious side-effects.

Half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal or low cholesterol, so the research may lead some 7 million more Americans to take these drugs. That's at a cost of $9 billion a year.

Titus feels she's doing the right thing by taking statins. "I'm very happy to stay on them, if that means I'm not gonna have another stroke," she said.

From the same American Heart Association conference, another study showed that high dose vitamin C and E supplementation does not help to prevent heart disease. Study participants took the viatmins for up to 10 years, and they were found to have no effect.

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