A person with high cholesterol level is subject to high risk of developing heart disease, stroke, or high blood pressure. This is an undeniable fact. Therefore, when your cholesterol level reaches a dangerous high level, your family doctor will almost certainly advise you to take some cholesterol drug to help control the level. Then, the next question is which drug to take?
On March 31, 2008, a new study reported by American College of Cardiology (ACC) that patients having trouble controlling their cholesterol levels should first take stronger doses of statin drugs before trying Vytorin. The findings reinforced earlier findings that Vytorin worked no better than an older, cheaper statin in reversing the progression of heart disease.
Vytorin combines the statin Zocor with another cholesterol medicine, Zetia (or ezetimibe), is marketed by a joint venture of Merck and Schering-Plough. Vytorin is claimed to be the only product that can help block the absorption of cholesterol coming from food, and reduce the cholesterol made naturally by the body. Vytorin can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides (fatty substances in the body), as well as raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Nevertheless, it has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone.
In the views of the group, representing heart specialists, the results of this new study should be taken into consideration while the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is working to update its national cholesterol treatment guidelines. The new study, known as “Enhance”, actually mirrored the results obtained in January that found that Vytorin failed to show that it is any better than a cheaper generic statin in reducing the thickness of artery walls in patients with an inherited form of heart disease.
Because of the lack of beneficial evidence, an ACC expert panel recommended that doctors should first put patients on a high-dose statin, and then try other drugs before reaching for Vytorin or Zetia.
The results also suggests it is necessary to stick to the current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines, which recommend statins to the maximally tolerated dose or to goal as first-line treatment for patients with coronary artery disease.
On March 31, 2008, a new study reported by American College of Cardiology (ACC) that patients having trouble controlling their cholesterol levels should first take stronger doses of statin drugs before trying Vytorin. The findings reinforced earlier findings that Vytorin worked no better than an older, cheaper statin in reversing the progression of heart disease.
Vytorin combines the statin Zocor with another cholesterol medicine, Zetia (or ezetimibe), is marketed by a joint venture of Merck and Schering-Plough. Vytorin is claimed to be the only product that can help block the absorption of cholesterol coming from food, and reduce the cholesterol made naturally by the body. Vytorin can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides (fatty substances in the body), as well as raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Nevertheless, it has not been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes more than Zocor alone.
In the views of the group, representing heart specialists, the results of this new study should be taken into consideration while the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is working to update its national cholesterol treatment guidelines. The new study, known as “Enhance”, actually mirrored the results obtained in January that found that Vytorin failed to show that it is any better than a cheaper generic statin in reducing the thickness of artery walls in patients with an inherited form of heart disease.
Because of the lack of beneficial evidence, an ACC expert panel recommended that doctors should first put patients on a high-dose statin, and then try other drugs before reaching for Vytorin or Zetia.
The results also suggests it is necessary to stick to the current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines, which recommend statins to the maximally tolerated dose or to goal as first-line treatment for patients with coronary artery disease.
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