POSTED BY: Monica Reinagel, M.S., LD/N | December 17, 2009 | 10:22 AM
I'm sure you've seen the headlines: The FDA plans to approve the use of Crestor, a type of cholesterol-lowering drug known as a statin, for people with normal cholesterol levels. The story is that giving Crestor to people who have normal cholesterol but elevated levels of C-reactive protein dramatically reduces heart attacks, strokes, and deaths.
C-reactive protein doesn't cause heart disease; it simply indicates the presence of systemic inflammation--which does appear to promote heart disease. We've known for a while that statin drugs reduce inflammation in addition to lowering cholesterol. So none of this is particularly surprising.
It's certainly not surprising that the pharmaceutical industry pursued this research. They've effectively doubled the market for a drug that retails for about $2000 a year. And, apparently, a lot of lives will be saved--but not without risks and side effects.
For all those physicians who will now reach for their prescription pads to prescribe Crestor to their patients with elevated C-reactive protein, it's worth pointing out that there are other proven ways to reduce C-reactive protein levels. Weight loss, for one. Fish oil supplements, for another. Dietary changes, for a third. All are less expensive and risky than statin drugs. All reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and death. None made the evening news last night.
