Health News

FDA Announces Safety Changes In Labeling For Some Cholesterol-lowering Drugs
Important safety changes to the labeling for some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products, when used with diet and exercise, help to lower a person’s “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The products include: Lipitor ( atorvastatin ), Lescol ( fluvastatin ), Mevacor ( lovastatin ), Altoprev ( lovastatin extended-release), Livalo ( pitavastatin ), Pravachol ( pravastatin ), Crestor ( rosuvastatin ), and Zocor ( simvastatin ). Combination products include: Advicor (...
Here Comes Generic Lipitor
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer loses patent rights to its popular cholesterol lowering medication Lipitor ( atorvastatin calcium) this week. The news means patients will be able to begin purchasing a less-expensive generic version by Thursday.
Experimental Cholesterol Drug Shows Promise
Eli Lily's experimental drug evacetrapib has been shown to raise good cholesterol levels while also decreasing bad cholesterol. It also successfully lowered triglyceride levels.
Reverse Artery Plaque With Medications
Large doses of common cholesterol-lowering medications appear to reverse coronary artery disease by reducing the amount of plaque in clogged arteries.
Cholesterol Drug Assessment 2.0
Doctors generally monitor how well cholesterol lowering drugs are working through simple blood tests. A high tech method that uses MRI scanning may let them peek inside the arteries to evaluate drug effectiveness.
Statin Not a One Trick Pony
Ever since the lovable Dorothy Hamill skated into a commercial promoting atorvastatin (Lipitor) in the early 2000s, the drug has been known for its remarkable abilities to lower cholesterol.
Pfizer Ponders OTC Lipitor
Drug maker Pfizer is contemplating an over-the-counter version of its cholesterol drug Lipitor, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing sources familiar with the effort.
Cholesterol Drugs May Prevent Strokes
Strokes are tough to predict, much less prevent. Cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins may be effective in preventing a second stroke among younger people.
Stopping a Second Stroke
Diabetes patients are at risk for all sorts of heart problems, including stroke. If a diabetic has had a stroke in the past, the chance of another stroke is even higher.
Statin Stalemate
A new study suggests there isn't enough evidence to recommend the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering stain drugs for patients who don't have a history of cardiovascular disease.