A Hearty Life

Statin Drug Rosuvastatin Reverses Atherosclerosis

by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD on March 14th, 2006

Statin drugs, such as rosuvastatin aka Crestor, are commonly prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels and stabilize fatty plaques in arteries. New evidence suggests that high doses of rosuvastatin may go one step further to break down fatty deposts and reverse atherosclerosis.

Instead of the usual 10 mg or 20 mg dose per day, patients in the study received at least one 40 mg pill daily. This high dosage appeared to reduce “bad” LDL-cholesterol by about 50% as well as increase “good” HDL by about 15%.

While statins are very effective, there are some side effects:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Muscle aching
• Elevated liver enzymes
• Statin myopathy

Two tips for taking statins:

1. Do NOT take statins with grapefruit juice which affects the metabolism of many drugs.
2. Take statins late in the day when the body makes most of its cholesterol.

BBC News, March 14, 2006

Technorati Tags: statins, statin+drugs, drugs, rosuvastatin, atherosclerosis, cholesterol, heart+disease, heart

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POSTED IN: Hearty Healthcare