Zocor, Simvastatin News

Nov 18, 2009 - Prescription Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefits management organization and a UnitedHealth Group company, released a study that found no significant differences in cardiovascular outcomes when comparing the effectiveness of ezetimibe/simvastatin to equipotent doses of simvastatin or atorvastatin alone.

At the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, the results of the ARBITER 6-HALTS study were released.

There has been a flurry of activity on the internet regarding the lipid lowering agent Zetia .

Cholesterol pills Vytorin from Merck & Co. and Lipitor from Pfizer Inc. worked no better than simvastatin, a cheaper generic medicine, at keeping patients out of the hospital for heart attacks or stroke, a study found.

Taking the B vitamin niacin offers no additional benefit to seniors with coronary artery disease who are already prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, U.S. researchers say.

Merck Expresses Confidence In The Efficacy And Safety Profiles Of ZETIA And VYTORIN As Effective Medicines For Managing Elevated Cholesterol November 18, 2009 At the American Heart Association meeting recently, Merck & Co., Inc.

Over the weekend, the results in a small cardiovascular trial came out that compared Merck's Zetia against Abbott's Niaspan .

A prescription version of niacin beat out a blockbuster cholesterol -lowering drug in slowing the buildup of plaque in artery walls, researchers report.

Want more of that good HDL cholesterol ? Try a timed-release niacin, and be skeptical if your doctor gives the sales pitch for Zetia or Vytorin.

A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin - drugs that are still taken by millions of people to lower cholesterol, despite questions raised last year about how well they work.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine.

Statins are cholesterol-lowering medications that are highly effective and generally safe.

Question: I'm a 66-year-old female who had gallbladder removal 31/2 years ago. Ever since then, I've had more abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, pressure, belching, and flatulence than ever before! I've had all the tests done - colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, small-intestine study, and stool samples - all normal.

Although statins such as Lipitor and Zocor are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients.

Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck is a native of Germany, where he received his medical education at the Westfalian Wilhelm University in Munster and became board certified in internal medicine and cardiology.

Statin drugs may increase problems with breathing and exercise in people with one form of heart failure, a new study suggests.

Merck was sent back to the drawing board on its new Zetia-Lipitor combo drug when the FDA refused to accept its application.

Last year pharmaceutical companies spent more than $4 billion urging patients like you to "ask your doctor" about their drugs.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had been feeling slightly uncomfortable in my chest, especially in the morning after waking.

Men may protect more than their hearts if they keep cholesterol in line: Their chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer may be lower, new research suggests.