Statin News and Research

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Statins are drugs used to lower cholesterol. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries, narrowing or even blocking them.

Genzyme, Isis announce results of two mipomersen phase 3 studies

Genzyme Corp. and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced results of two phase 3 studies of mipomersen in patients who had high cholesterol levels while on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy. In the study of patients with severe hypercholesterolemia, mipomersen reduced LDL-C, the primary endpoint, by 36 percent compared with a 13 percent increase for placebo.

5 Aug 2010

HDL does not predict heart attack risk after dramatic statin therapy: Study

People with high levels of "good cholesterol," HDL-C, tend to have fewer heart attacks, but HDL-C may offer little protection to people who take statins to lower harmful LDL cholesterol, researchers reported July 21. At Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Dr. Paul Ridker and colleagues analyzed a large study of healthy people who took the statin CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) to prevent heart attacks. They found that in this group, having high HDL-C was a bad predictor of heart attack risk.

2 Aug 2010

ESC concerned over interpretation of JUPITER sub-analysis trial results about HDL cholesterol

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is concerned that interpretations of a paper about cholesterol, published in the Lancet, could act to deter ongoing research efforts into developing new therapeutic strategies to increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Caution, the ESC experts advise, should be displayed in the interpretation of the results.

26 Jul 2010

Inhibiting fatty acid synthase can reduce atherosclerosis: Study

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way to significantly reduce atherosclerosis in mice that does not involve lowering cholesterol levels or eliminating other obesity-related problems.

26 Jul 2010

Mayo Clinic's July issue offers tips on ophthalmology, Alzheimer's and CKD

Here are highlights from the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource attribution is required.

20 Jul 2010

All dementia isn't Alzheimer's disease: Mayo Clinic

Occasional misplaced keys or forgotten names don't mark the beginning of dementia. All dementia isn't Alzheimer's disease. Some dementia symptoms can be reversed. Those facts and many more are covered in Deciphering Dementia, a supplemental Special Report to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource

16 Jul 2010

Study: High concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure

A new study by UCSF cardiologists and researchers found that high concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols - such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables - have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients.

7 Jul 2010

ESMT CA study: Cutting pharmaceutical prices will reduce number of new medications

Cutting pharmaceutical prices will severely reduce the number of new medications making it to market, according to a groundbreaking independent study from ESMT Competition Analysis. For the first time, the study on 'Pharmaceutical Innovation and Pricing Regulation' clearly models and quantifies the direct link between strict regulation and low innovation.

1 Jul 2010

Studies link anti-cholesterol statin drugs to increased risk of anxiety and depression

Scientists are reporting a possible explanation for the symptoms of anxiety and depression that occur in some patients taking the popular statin family of anti-cholesterol drugs, and reported by some individuals on low-cholesterol diets. These symptoms could result from long-term, low levels of cholesterol in the brain, the report suggests. It appears in ACS' weekly journal Biochemistry.

1 Jul 2010

European Congress of Nephrology unveils results of various clinical trials

The 47th ERA-EDTA/DGfN congress in Munich has been the setting for a wide range of new clinical data. The results of the following clinical trials were presented at "Late-Breaking Clinical Trials Sessions."

30 Jun 2010

Study highlights importance of individualized, patient-centered therapies

In an analysis from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, one of the largest studies of its kind to determine whether intensive blood glucose (sugar) control worked better than standard blood sugar control among diabetics, results show that the benefits of intensive therapy need to be balanced against the increase in total and cardiovascular disease-related death, increased weight gain, and high risk for severe low blood sugar.

30 Jun 2010

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

The Washington Post: Two new studies provide evidence "that the diabetes drug Avandia increases the risk of heart problems and strokes, renewing questions about the safety of the medication. ... The new research, released Monday, should prompt the Food and Drug Administration to remove the drug from the market, according to the researchers who led the analyses and several drug-safety advocates.

30 Jun 2010

Study indicates two treatment strategies can reduce progression of diabetic retinopathy

In high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes, researchers have found that two therapies may slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that is the leading cause of vision loss in working-age Americans.

30 Jun 2010

BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

A series of new reports from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs (BBD) caution that the benefits of statin use by children and some women may not outweigh the risks. Drugs to lower cholesterol - including statins - are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. and garnered more than $14 billion in sales last year.

29 Jun 2010

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

A meta-analysis of previously published studies finds no evidence that statins are associated with a reduced risk of death among individuals at risk for but with no history of cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals

29 Jun 2010

Study: Statins can reduce risk of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Men who use statins to lower their cholesterol are 30 percent less likely to see their prostate cancer come back after surgery compared to men who do not use the drugs, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Researchers also found that higher doses of the drugs were associated with lower risk of recurrence.

29 Jun 2010

Welchol plus metformin combination therapy reduces A1C, LDL-C levels in type 2 diabetes patients

Results of a new study demonstrated that initial combination therapy with Welchol® (colesevelam HCl) 3.75 g/d and metformin (initiated at 850 mg/d; uptitrated to 1700 mg/d thereafter) significantly improved glycemic and lipid control in drug-naive adult type 2 diabetes patients with high LDL cholesterol (LDL-C).

29 Jun 2010

Spherix to explore triglycerides for D-tagatose therapy

Spherix Incorporated, an innovator in biotechnology for diabetes therapy, and a provider of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today announced that it will explore triglycerides as a potential therapeutic opportunity for its D-tagatose therapy, pending a review of data from a Phase 3 clinical trial the Company is conducting on the use of D-tagatose as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

24 Jun 2010

LIVALO for primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia now available in U.S.

Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company today announced that LIVALO® (pitavastatin) tablets is now available in retail pharmacies throughout the United States. LIVALO, a statin medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2009 is indicated for adults as an adjunctive therapy to diet for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia. LIVALO is available in doses of 1 mg, 2 mg and 4 mg.

21 Jun 2010

The utility of observational studies in clinical decision making: Lessons learned from statin trials

An article published in the May 2010 issue of Postgraduate Medicine explains the benefits observational studies have in assessing clinical practice and thereby aid in improved processes of clinical care.

16 Jun 2010

Statin News and Research

Further Reading

Genzyme, Isis announce results of two mipomersen phase 3 studies

HDL does not predict heart attack risk after dramatic statin therapy: Study

ESC concerned over interpretation of JUPITER sub-analysis trial results about HDL cholesterol

Inhibiting fatty acid synthase can reduce atherosclerosis: Study

Mayo Clinic's July issue offers tips on ophthalmology, Alzheimer's and CKD

All dementia isn't Alzheimer's disease: Mayo Clinic

Study: High concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure

ESMT CA study: Cutting pharmaceutical prices will reduce number of new medications

Studies link anti-cholesterol statin drugs to increased risk of anxiety and depression

European Congress of Nephrology unveils results of various clinical trials

Study highlights importance of individualized, patient-centered therapies

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

Study indicates two treatment strategies can reduce progression of diabetic retinopathy

BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

Study: Statins can reduce risk of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Welchol plus metformin combination therapy reduces A1C, LDL-C levels in type 2 diabetes patients

Spherix to explore triglycerides for D-tagatose therapy

LIVALO for primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia now available in U.S.

The utility of observational studies in clinical decision making: Lessons learned from statin trials

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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