A controversial study showing that the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin failed to slow the buildup of artery plaques more than a cheaper statin is certain to provoke questions among heart patients taking Vytorin or its sister drug Zetia. USA TODAY asked Steven Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic's chief of cardiology, and Roger Blumenthal of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease and the American College of Cardiologyprevention committee, for some answers.
Q: Why was the study controversial?
A: The two drugs are among the most widely used of all prescription medicines. Yet, although the drugs have been shown to reduce cholesterol, their manufacturers acknowledge that they've never been shown to prevent heart attacks or other life-threatening events. Lipitor and other statin drugs, in contrast, have demonstrated their effectiveness in many studies.
source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health
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