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New data from the JUPITER study demonstrated that CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) 20 mg significantly reduced major cardiovascular (CV) events (defined in this study as the combined risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, arterial revascularization, hospitalization for unstable angina, or death from CV causes) by a dramatic 44% compared to placebo (p

Reuters - A large study suggests that lowered levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes in high-risk patients, but the trial dashed long-standing hopes that folic acid and vitamin B12 might provide such protection, researchers said on Sunday.

Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in our May 2002 issue. We are posting it because of news from the JUPITER trial.AS RECENTLY AS FIVE YEARS AGO, most physicians would have confidently described atherosclerosis as a straight plumbing problem: Fat-laden gunk gradually builds up on the surface of passive artery walls. If a deposit (plaque) grows large enough, it eventually closes off an affected “pipe,” preventing blood from reaching its intended tissue. After a while the blood-starved tissue dies. When a part of the cardiac muscle or the brain succumbs, a heart attack or stroke occurs. [More]