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.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations increased in patients treated with LIVALO

New data presented today showed that in patients treated with LIVALO (pitavastatin), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations increased, and nearly three-fourths of patients attained low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets, with results sustained over 52 weeks.

2 Sep 2009

Traditional lipid risk factors to be strong predictors of cardiovascular events according to a study

For patients with established heart disease who were treated with a statin, 18 novel biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP) did not predict future cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke, according to results of an analysis presented today at the 2009 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

1 Sep 2009

DYSlipidemia International Study results presented at the ESC congress

According to a new analysis of 22,000 patients, nearly three-quarters of patients taking statins still had at least one lipid abnormality. These results, from a study conducted by Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J., U.S.A., which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Barcelona, Spain.

31 Aug 2009

New rule from CMS for improving stroke patient care in hospitals

A new rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS Final FY 2010 Rule) focuses on improving stroke patient care in hospitals. Beginning 2010, hospitals submitting Medicare claims for stroke must let CMS know if they participate in a database registry for stroke care, such as that maintained by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) quality improvement initiative.

28 Aug 2009

Researchers find connection between eye disease and arginase

Elevated levels of the enzyme arginase contribute to vascular eye damage and Medical College of Georgia researchers say therapies to normalize its levels could halt progression of potentially blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

19 Aug 2009

FDA approves Livalo (pitavastatin), a new cholesterol-lowering drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the 4 milligram maximum dose of Livalo (pitavastatin), a drug intended to improve blood cholesterol levels in persons with elevated or abnormal blood cholesterol levels.

3 Aug 2009

More evidence in favour of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

As the ESC Congress 2009 draws ever closer, the evidence in favour of a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of cardiovascular disease grows ever stronger. Prevention is the highlight theme of this year's event, which will take place in Barcelona from 29 August to 2 September. Lifestyle factors are heavily on the agenda.

21 Jul 2009

New heart disease risk score outperforms existing test

An independent external validation of QRISK® - a new score for predicting a person's risk of heart disease - has shown that it performs better than the existing test and should be recommended for use in the United Kingdom by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

9 Jul 2009

Muscle damage may be present in some patients taking statins

Structural muscle damage may be present in patients who have statin-associated muscle complaints, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

7 Jul 2009

Newly discovered gene regulates balance of 'bad' cholesterol

In an article in Science, Noam Zelcer from the LACDR describes a previously unknown mechanism for regulating the amount of LDL cholesterol. This offers opportunities for supplementing and improving the effect of so-called statins: medicines that remove 'bad' cholesterol from the bloodstream.

30 Jun 2009

Optimizing the start time of statin therapy for diabetics

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Mayo Clinic have developed a computer model that medical doctors can use to determine the best time to begin using statin therapy in diabetes patients to help prevent heart disease and stroke.

30 Jun 2009

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs do not lower risk of pneumonia in seniors

Taking popular cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), does not lower the risk of pneumonia. That's the new finding from a study of more than 3,000 Group Health patients published online on June 16 in advance of the British Medical Journal's June 20 print issue.

17 Jun 2009

90 per cent of the world's population won't have access to antivirals in pandemic - generic drugs may help though

Almost 90 per cent of the world's population will not have timely access to affordable supplies of vaccines and antiviral agents in the current influenza pandemic, but it is possible that inexpensive generic drugs that are readily available, even in developing countries, could save millions of lives.

13 Jun 2009

Abbott and AstraZeneca to co-promote Trilipix (fenofibric acid)

Abbot and AstraZeneca have announced that they have entered into an agreement for AstraZeneca to co-promote Abbott's Trilipix (fenofibric acid), a medication for use alone or in combination with a statin to treat certain lipid disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will obtain the non-exclusive right to co-promote Trilipix alongside Abbott in the United States, excluding Puerto Rico. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

5 Jun 2009

Statins may help prevent stroke recurrence

People who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins after a stroke may be less likely to have another stroke later, according to research published in the May 26, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 May 2009

Study shows beneficial effects statins may have on gastrointestinal disorders

The commonly used prescription statin drugs may have a protective effect in the prevention of liver cancer and lead to a reduction in the need for gallbladder removals, according to two studies published in Gastroenterology.

5 May 2009

Statins can lower PSA levels in men with prostate cancer

Beyond lowering cholesterol, statin medications have been found to have numerous other health benefits, including lowering a healthy man's risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, as well as lowering his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

30 Apr 2009

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce inflammation in prostate tumors

Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may reduce inflammation in prostate tumors, possibly hindering cancer growth, according to a study led by investigators in the Duke Prostate Center.

26 Apr 2009

Statins may benefit men with prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms

Several new studies presented at the American Urological Association's (AUA) 104th Annual Scientific Meeting suggest that the use of statins - commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol - may benefit men with prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

26 Apr 2009

Statins may be useful in patients with tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer

Breast cancer cells in the laboratory that don't respond to tamoxifen may be producing high amounts of cholesterol in order to provide a kind of shield against the drug, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC).

20 Apr 2009