Statin News and Research

RSS

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.

Statin effect on thrombosis not so positive

Statins may not prevent venous thromboembolic events despite previous research suggesting otherwise, say researchers.

20 Sep 2012

ApoB no better than current lipid markers in CVD risk prediction

Assessment of apolipoprotein B levels does not seem to improve cardiovascular disease risk prediction over low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, report researchers.

11 Sep 2012

Meijer offers generic Lipitor for free to help families be heart healthy

In an effort to help families be heart healthy, this week Midwest retailer Meijer began offering the generic substitute for Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) for free in all 199 Meijer pharmacies.

4 Sep 2012

Statins reduce pancreatitis risk

Statins reduce the risk for pancreatitis in patients with normal or mildly elevated triglyceride levels, say the authors of a large meta-analysis.

24 Aug 2012

Statin's potency may cause muscle problems in patients with cardiovascular disease

A study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, published August 22 online by PLoS ONE, reports that muscle problems reported by patients taking statins were related to the strength or potency of the given cholesterol-lowering drugs.

23 Aug 2012

Statins: cardiovascular benefits outweigh diabetes risk

The benefits of taking statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease outweigh the increased risk of developing diabetes experienced by some patients who take these cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet.

10 Aug 2012

Statins and diabetes both increase cataract risk

Patients using cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be at increased risk of developing age-related cataracts, according to a study - "Age-related Cataract Is Associated with Type 2 Diabetes and Statin Use", in the August issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

8 Aug 2012

Training nurse-pharmacist teams to track discrepancies between patients medications at home and in hospital may reduce conflicts

A study of more than 500 patients admitted to, and discharged from, a big-city medical center suggests that nurse-pharmacist teams trained to track down discrepancies between lists of drugs patients are taking at home and those they are scheduled to take in the hospital might substantially reduce such potentially harmful conflicts.

1 Aug 2012

Targeting monocyte activation may reduce arterial inflammation in HIV-infected patients

The elevated risk of cardiovascular disease seen in patients infected with HIV appears to be associated with increased inflammation within the arteries, according to a study that will appear in a special issue of JAMA published in conjunction with the International AIDS Conference.

23 Jul 2012

Regeneron, Sanofi initiate enrollment in SAR236553/REGN727 Phase 3 program

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that several trials within ODYSSEY, the Phase 3 clinical program of SAR236553/REGN727, have initiated patient enrollment.

21 Jul 2012

Elderly may be undertreated for cardiac disease

Not enough elderly people are being prescribed statins, argue researchers in the BMJ.

17 Jul 2012

Heart disease risk in elderly could be lowered by drugs

More patients aged 75 and over should be prescribed drugs to help lower their risk of cardiovascular disease, a study published today on bmj.com suggests.

13 Jul 2012

MiR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism

In research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association and published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, Saint Louis University investigator -ngel Bald-n, Ph.D., found that the microRNA miR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism. Further, the research suggests that, in an animal model, the manipulation of this microRNA can improve the liver toxicity that can be caused by statins.

10 Jul 2012

Federal government commits $11B to expand operating capacity of FQHC and look-alike clinics

The federal government has committed $11 billion to expand the operating capacity of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which receive federal funding and enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, and "look-alike" clinics that receive enhanced reimbursement but no federal grants.

10 Jul 2012

Statins for erectile dysfunction proposed

Family doctors should offer men with erectile dysfunction treatment with a statin – not only to improve their quality of life but also to reduce their future cardiovascular risk.

28 Jun 2012

Statin effects may be gender-specific

The benefit of using statins may differ according to gender, show findings from a meta-analysis.

28 Jun 2012

Long-term intensive combination lipid therapy may be effective against atherosclerotic disease

For the first time, a study has found that intensive cholesterol therapy involving a combination of drugs for 20 years may be more effective over the long run than taking a single statin medication.

26 Jun 2012

Coronary risk for chronic kidney disease patients could be as high as for those who have had a heart attack

Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease could be at as high a risk of coronary heart disease as patients who have previously had a heart attack, according to an Article published Online First in the Lancet.

19 Jun 2012

Individuals on statins more likely to experience fatigue with exertion

In a study of more than 1,000 adults, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that individuals taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are more likely than non-users to experience decreased energy, fatigue upon exertion, or both. The researchers suggest that these findings should be taken into account by doctors when weighing risk versus benefit in prescribing statins.

12 Jun 2012

Study examines factors linked with survival after CEA in patients with asymptomatic ICA stenosis

While carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is performed to prevent stroke, long-term survival is essential to ensure benefit, especially in asymptomatic patients. A new study presented at the 66th Vascular Annual Meeting presented by the Society for Vascular Surgery today examined patient factors associated with 5-year survival following CEA in patients with asymptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.

11 Jun 2012