In The News: Super Statins

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By Mary Carmichael

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Most patients who take statins to lower their cholesterol probably don't know why they're on one brand instead of another. Truth be told, neither do their doctors. Until last week, there wasn't much evidence that one brand was better than the other. But the results of a Cleveland Clinic study released last week showed that patients' average LDL levels dropped to 110 on Pravachol and an astounding 79 on Lipitor--and some doctors are now switching to Lipitor as their prescription of choice. That doesn't necessarily mean you should switch if you're on another statin, though. "A lot of the media coverage said drug A was better than drug B," says Dr. James Cleeman, coordinator of the NIH's National Cholesterol Education Program. "But you can't conclude that from this study. It wasn't a head-to-head comparison." Patients took either 40mg of Pravachol or 80mg of Lipitor (which was already known to have a stronger milligram-for-milligram effect). The Lipitor patients had lower CRP levels, lower cholesterol and less arterial plaque. But both drugs reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks. The upshot: if you're new to statins, ask your doctor about Lipitor. If you've already got a drug that works for you, stick with it--but keep an eye out for more studies.

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