Combination therapy effective against heart disease

Crestor has already been shown to be the most effective of the statins (cholesterol lowering medicines) at reducing “bad” cholesterol or LDL-C, enabling most patients with high cholesterol to successfully achieve their guideline LDL-C goal. Previous results released in June showed high-risk patients achieved an unprecedented 70% reduction in LDL-C using Crestor combination therapy.

In just six weeks, the combination regimen also helped more than half of patients achieve dual C-reactive protein and LDL-C goals.

The significant reductions in both markers seen in the study provide a new opportunity for high-risk patients to potentially reduce their cardiovascular risks with combination therapy. However AstraZeneca commented that additional studies were needed.

“Physicians have long relied on blood cholesterol as a key indicator of cardiovascular risk, but recent research suggests that adding a CRP goal to existing LDL-C targets could potentially further reduce the risk of cardiovascular outcomes,” said lead investigator Professor Christie Ballantyne, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center.

Inflammation of the blood vessels and arteries can lead to serious complications such as heart attack and stroke, and high levels of CRP can predict these risks years before they actually occur.

The first study to examine the effect of statins on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among individuals with normal to low cholesterol levels and elevated CRP is currently under way.

Crestor has now received regulatory approvals in more than 75 countries across five continents. Over seven million patients have been prescribed Crestor worldwide.