C-Reactive Protein, Statins, And Your Heart: New Findings

C-Reative Protein (Wikipedia)A new study released by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) indicates that statin drugs are effective at lowering the high levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) found in patients with cardiovascular disease due to inflammation.

Generally, statin drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and others, are prescribed to lower cholesterol by attacking HMG-CoA reductase, a cholesterol synthesizing protein found in LDL cholesterol.. Because they are effective at lowering cholesterol levels, statins naturally reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events associated with high cholesterol.

The MUHC study, funded by Astra Zeneca, maker of the statin drug Crestor, included almost 18,000 patients from 27 different countries with normal cholesterol levels, but high levels of CRP, a protein associated with inflammatory cardiovascular disease. During the study, patients received a daily dose of rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Results of the research were so dramatic that the MUHC study was suspended to reveal its results early. They showed that the statins administered were highly effective at attacking CRP. The statin treatment resulted in a 44 percent reduction in risk of cardiovascular events and a 21 percent decrease in mortality in study patients, indicating that statins are effective drugs for both cholesterol and inflammation related heart disease.

Science Daily, Wikipedia

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