Late last month, an important study in JAMA showed that patients in a high LDL cholesterol group from 130 to 160 did not show a progression of carotid plaque when receiving rosuvastatin compared with control. This study was a breakthrough in terms of primary prevention though the results are not surprising, and many internists, myself included, were already treating many of the members of this group with statins. Carotid plaque is predictive of coronary plaque, and previous studies have shown plaque stabilization with atorvastatin in patients with heart disease leading to a diminishing of subsequent cardiac events. (secondary prevention)
Here is the new JAMA study on rosuvastatin - it would be interesting to follow this up with a study that looked at whether bringing down LDL to less than 80 with diet alone, gave the same results in terms of plaque as when a statin is used.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/12/1376
Here is the new JAMA study on rosuvastatin - it would be interesting to follow this up with a study that looked at whether bringing down LDL to less than 80 with diet alone, gave the same results in terms of plaque as when a statin is used.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/12/1376
