Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Statins News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/statins/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171416.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171416.php The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows. Statins Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170827.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170827.php Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are studying statins, the class of drugs long associated with lowering cholesterol, as a way to reduce H1N1-related deaths. Gordon Bernard, M.D., associate vice-chancellor for Research at Vanderbilt and a critical care pulmonologist, believes statins may reduce flu-related deaths in the intensive care unit by as much as half. Swine Flu Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170696.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170696.php Quick 'bench-to-bedside' clinical trial would enroll 1,400 influenza patients to test corticosteroids and statins as potential treatments An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. Swine Flu Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169854.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169854.php Researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have for the first time successfully reconstituted in the laboratory the enzyme responsible for producing the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. The research, published Oct. 23 in the journal Science, could potentially lead to the development of other compounds with similarly beneficial effects. Statins Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169769.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169769.php Statins may provide potentially life-saving benefits for patients with cardiovascular disease by helping reduce the incidence of blood clots. Heart Disease Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169770.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169770.php Although statins are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169780.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169780.php Men with lower cholesterol are less likely than those with higher levels to develop high-grade prostate cancer - an aggressive form of the disease with a poorer prognosis, according to results of a Johns Hopkins collaborative study. In a prospective study of more than 5,000 U.S. men, epidemiologists say they now have evidence that having lower levels of heart-clogging fat may cut a man's risk of this form of cancer by nearly 60 percent. Prostate / Prostate Cancer Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169822.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169822.php Two new studies from the US published this week negate concerns that have been around since early studies done decades ago suggested that low cholesterol leads to some types of cancer: one in fact affirms that undiagnosed cancer is the likely cause of lower total cholesterol while the other found evidence linking low cholesterol and decreased risk of high-grade prostate cancer among older men. Cholesterol Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169330.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169330.php Simvastatin, a commonly used, cholesterol-lowering drug, may prevent Parkinson's disease from progressing further. Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center conducted a study examining the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease. Parkinson's Disease Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169174.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169174.php Besides their tremendous value in treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been reported to potentially lower the risks of other diseases, such as dementia. However, a study in the October Journal of Lipid Research finds that similar statin drugs can have profoundly different effects on brain cells - both beneficial and detrimental. Statins Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169038.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169038.php Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin significantly boosted the attainment of lipid targets as specified by both Canadian and European guidelines in elderly patients aged 65 and older and the combination produced superior results than simply increasing the dose of atorvastatin alone, Dr. Christian Constance told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Heart Disease Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168937.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168937.php Millions of people around the world use medicines based on statins to lower their blood cholesterol, but new research from the University of Gothenburg, published in the prestigious journal PNAS, shows that statins may also be effective in the treatment of cancer. Statins lower cholesterol by blocking certain enzymes involved in our metabolism. Cancer / Oncology Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168645.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168645.php Obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are less likely to reach recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts, according to new research presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr. Heart Disease Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168423.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168423.php New Phase III data published in "Current Medical Research and Opinion" highlight that the recommended starting dose of 2 mg of LIVALO (pitavastatin), a novel synthetic statin, was statistically superior to simvastatin at a dose of 20 mg over 12 weeks in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia. Statins Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166037.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166037.php A program that bundled two generic, low-cost drugs - a cholesterol-lowering statin and a blood pressure-lowering drug - and gave daily doses to 68,560 people with diabetes or heart disease for two years is estimated to have prevented 1,271 heart attacks and strokes in the first year following the study period, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the American Journal of Managed Care. Heart Disease Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165303.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165303.php Since the introduction of statins to treat high cholesterol, the decline in lipid levels experienced by the wealthy has been double that experienced by the poor. While statins are highly effective in reducing cholesterol and improving heart health, their use may have contributed to expanding social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, according to research by Virginia W. Statins Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162606.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162606.php Almost half (48%) of statin-treated patients are not meeting target levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), according to the results of a new international study, conducted by Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited and presented today at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Barcelona, Spain.1 Additionally, nearly three-quarters (73%) of the same patients had at least one lipid abnormality across LDL-C, HDL-C and triglyceride levels. Statins Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162577.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162577.php According to a new analysis of 22,000 patients, nearly three-quarters of patients taking statins still had at least one lipid abnormality. These results, from a study conducted by Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J., U.S.A., which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, were presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Barcelona, Spain. Cholesterol Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162425.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162425.php 1. Mediterranean Diet Trumps Low-fat Diet for Diabetes Management Patients on Low-Carbohydrate Mediterranean Diet Avoided Medication, Lost More Weight, and Decreased Some Coronary Risk Factors In one of the longest-term randomized trials of its kind, researchers compared the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet versus a typical low-fat diet for diabetes management. Diabetes Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161410.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161410.php Special presentations will be made Sept. 24, 2-6 p.m. WHAT: A series of Featured Clinical Trials will be presented at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), in addition to late-breaking clinical trials. These featured clinical trials represent groundbreaking research and will yield data and insight that will further the field of interventional cardiology. WHEN: The TCT Featured Clinical Trials will be presented on September 24, 2009 from 2:00 - 6:00 pm. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161213.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161213.php Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) announced the UK launch of 'Tredaptive'® (nicotinic acid/laropiprant) 1000 mg/20 mg (two tablets once daily maintenance dose), a new treatment option for dyslipidaemia. Statins Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159807.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159807.php Kowa Research Institute (KRI) based in Morrisville, NC and Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. (KPA), a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Montgomery, AL, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved LIVALO(R) (pitavastatin), a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin), for the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia. Cholesterol Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157247.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157247.php A new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) reports that the number of prescriptions in Canada for cardiovascular medications has been increasing over the last ten years. There has been a 200 percent increase in costs. Overall costs of cardiovascular medications exceeded $5 billion in 2006. And statins accounted for nearly 40 percent of the expenditure. Cardiovascular / Cardiology Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156870.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156870.php The results of a study published in the current issue of the peer reviewed British Medical Journal (BMJ) support the findings of a white paper released last month by the Senior Center for Health and Security (SCHS) regarding the potentially lifesaving qualities of cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins. Statins Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156647.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156647.php The number of prescriptions in Canada for cardiovascular medications has been increasing over the past decade, with a 200% increase in costs, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). In 2006, total costs of cardiovascular medications exceeded $5 billion, with statins accounting for almost 40% of the expenditure. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of premature death and disability in Canada, exerting a significant societal burden. Cardiovascular / Cardiology