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.

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

Resverlogix' RVX-208 increases plasma levels of Apolipoprotein A-I and HDL-cholesterol

Resverlogix is pleased to announce that it has collaborated with the Division of Cardiology at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI of the MUHC), to publish today in the Journal of American College of Cardiology (JACC), a report entitled 'RVX-208 A Small Molecule that Increases Apolipoprotein A-I and High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol In Vitro and In Vivo'.

9 Jun 2010

Celera applies CE mark to real-time PCR test for detection of variant in KIF6 gene

Celera Corporation today announced that it has signed a Declaration of Conformity and applied the CE mark to a real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for detection of a variant in the KIF6 gene, allowing the test to be marketed in the European Union and other geographic areas that recognize the CE Mark.

7 Jun 2010

Lovastatin protects animals against plague

An experimental study has revealed that lovastatin, a drug prescribed for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, protects animals against the deadly effects of plague. This infectious disease is on the upsurge in parts of the world. These results obtained by scientists at the Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille 2) have been published in the journal PLoS ONE.

4 Jun 2010

Aspirin may not be beneficial for young adults with diabetes

Experts are now recommending that low-dose aspirin therapy to prevent heart attacks be used somewhat more conservatively - that men younger than 50 and women younger than 60, who have diabetes but no other major risk factors, probably not use aspirin.

2 Jun 2010

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center announce presentations at American Urological Association meeting

Physician-scientists from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center will present their latest research findings at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, May 29 to June 3.

31 May 2010

Researchers assess effects of statins on tendon rupture

Michigan State University researchers are studying the role that statins - lifesavers for tens of millions of Americans trying to lower their cholesterol - play in causing disabling tendon ruptures.

29 May 2010

Dosage of statin drugs given to patients with heart disease should be monitored: Study

The type and dosage of statin drugs given to patients to treat heart disease should be proactively monitored as they can have unintended adverse effects, concludes a new study published on bmj.com.

27 May 2010

New study shows preoperative statin therapy protects patients undergoing elective AAA repair

Preoperative statin therapy has a protective effect on patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair that reduces risk and subsequent total hospital costs according to a new study from researchers at the East Carolina Heart Institute in Greenville, North Carolina.

20 May 2010

Statin News and Research

Further Reading

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

Resverlogix' RVX-208 increases plasma levels of Apolipoprotein A-I and HDL-cholesterol

Celera applies CE mark to real-time PCR test for detection of variant in KIF6 gene

Lovastatin protects animals against plague

Aspirin may not be beneficial for young adults with diabetes

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center announce presentations at American Urological Association meeting

Researchers assess effects of statins on tendon rupture

Dosage of statin drugs given to patients with heart disease should be monitored: Study

New study shows preoperative statin therapy protects patients undergoing elective AAA repair

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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