A statin drug reduced people's "bad cholesterol" by more than 50 percent, unclogged their arteries, and reversed the risk factors that lead to heart attacks and strokes, a new study shows.

Crestor, the strongest of the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs on the market, trimmed the buildup of fat, calcium and other deposits in patients' arteries by as much as 9 percent and cut plaque-making cholesterol in the blood by 53 percent, according to the study paid for by the drug's maker, AstraZeneca, and released March 13 at a convention of heart doctors.

"To my knowledge, this is the lowest cholesterol level that's ever been seen," said Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic who led the research. "The holy grail has always been to try to reverse the disease, and this study shows a way to do that."

The amount of "'good" cholesterol rose almost 15 percent to an unprecedented level, said researchers, adding that it's too soon to tell whether shrinking the plaque will lead to fewer heart attacks.

Taking away years of plaque accumulation

The results came after more than 500 patients with blocked arteries took 40 milligrams of Crestor, which is the maximum amount, rather than the usual 10 milligrams. Two-thirds of them realized the significant drops in "bad" cholesterol and other artery-clogging material and increases in "good" cholesterol.

"We were taking away many years of accumulation of plaque," Nissen said. "It's the plaque that leads to heart attacks and strokes, so if you get rid of the plaque, you get rid of the source of all those problems that patients with the disease have.

"Traditional thinking has viewed atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries) as an inexorably progressive disease for which even the most active therapies can merely slow advancement. The current study suggests that there is potential for a more optimistic strategy, in which aggressive cholesterol-lowering treatments can reverse the disease."

The study also renews debate about how low LDL should go. Federal guidelines recommend aiming for 70 in people at high risk of heart disease, but Nissen said the benefits seen when it is pushed to 60 suggest that "as low as we can go might make more sense." Some doctors believe the body needs about 40 LDL "bad" cholesterol.

Statins have become the world's top-selling drugs for their ability to lower LDL "bad" cholesterol, the main culprit in the formation of clots. Dr. Roger Blumenthal, a heart doctor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., wrote in an editorial in the same issue of the Journal that researchers should have tested Crestor against lower doses of another statin, but praised the study as "pioneering."

Source: American Medical Association
Reference: Journal of the American Medical Association

This summary by Nubella News is a snapshot of a larger, more detailed study and/or research project. Nubella News encourages all site visitors and readers interested in understanding the material contained within this article at a more detailed level, to perform additional research and investigation into the article topics, references, and any links provided within the material. Nubella News does not intend to offer medical advice. We recommend that all readers ask their doctor or medical professional for additional advice, guidance, and/or recommendations pertaining to this article.