Different Statin Drugs Battle to a Draw

The SATURN study compared the results of maximum doses of the two most popular statin drugs, Crestor and Lipitor. Even though it is more expensive and supposedly more powerful, Crestor failed to work any better at reducing the volume of the plaque over a two-year period. LDL was effectively reduced by both drugs, but the volume of the plaque shrank only 1% for both. There was no evidence that such a small amount of plaque reduction will result in more plaque stability or a reduction in coronary events. Earlier studies have shown that natural statins like red yeast have similar benefits and fewer side effects. The biggest advantage for Crestor appears to be greater profits for AstraZeneca, the company that markets Crestor. See January 2012 issue of Family Practice News,(click here) p. 25.