A new statin drug dramatically cuts the number of heart attacks and strokes, even for people without high cholesterol.
In a major trial, daily treatment with Crestor slashed the rate of heart problems and deaths by 44 per cent.Crucially, the U.S. study involved those who would not normally be considered at risk of heart problems. Their cholesterol was at 'healthy' levels that would not qualify them for statin treatment in the UK and many other countries.
But they all had high levels of a protein linked to heart disease. Now the U.S. researchers want this factor to be considered when deciding who will receive statins. British experts say the study could open a new era in assessing people's risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The trial, called Jupiter, involved almost 18,000 people - one in seven of them from the UK. They all had high levels of a protein called hsCRP - high sensitivity C-reactive protein - which is linked to inflammation in the arteries. Crestor, which is already available on the NHS, cut these levels and also halved levels of the 'bad' cholesterol known as LDL.
Heart attacks were cut by 54 per cent, strokes by 48 per cent and the need for angioplasty or bypass by 46 per cent among the group on Crestor
