Why crestor or lipitor

Nonetheless, he pointed out the increased risk appears early in Crestor treatment and at low doses -- 10 mg. And the AHA signaled its concern about the new study by arranging a telephone press conference to review the study and an accompanying editorial by renowned cholesterol authority Scott Grundy, M.

Elliott Antman, M. But he also noted that the paper had been fast-tracked to publication in just five weeks since "we appreciated that there is significant interest in this topic.

In his editorial Dr. Grundy was critical of Dr. Karas's paper and noted that the FDA conducted a "careful and through analysis of the same data" and came up with a different conclusion. Wolfe, M. Moreover, during the press briefing Dr. Grundy flatly stated that even with the report from Dr. Karas and colleagues he had "no evidence that one statin is safer than another. He added that even when muscle or kidney problems are reported those "events seem dose related and will reverse when the drug is stopped or the dose lowered.

The statin guidelines list as high risk individuals: frail elderly over age 80 who have small body frames, patients with multisystem disease, patients following surgery, patients taking multiple drugs, patients consuming more than a quart of grapefruit juice daily, and patients who abuse alcohol.

Grundy was also critical of the study design with combined a relatively minor endpoint -- proteinuria -- with severe endpoints such as renal failure. In the statin called Baycol cerivastatin was withdrawn from the market after reports of a significant increase in risk of rhabdomyolysis.

However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Both Crestor and Lipitor belong to a class of medications called statins. Crestor is the brand name for rosuvastatin, and Lipitor is the brand name for atorvastatin. The first member of this drug class that was approved by the FDA to treat high cholesterol was lovastatin, back in the late s Endo, In addition to these three, other statins on the market include Zocor simvastatin , Pravachol pravastatin , Lescol fluvastatin , and Livalo pitavastatin.

High cholesterol and elevated triglycerides are major risk factors for the development of heart disease. Cholesterol and fats build up on the inside of blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis.

This, in turn, leads to angina chest pain , heart attacks, and strokes. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States CDC, Crestor and Lipitor, along with diet and exercise, can help lower your risk of developing these life-threatening conditions.

Crestor is made by AstraZeneca and is considered the most potent strongest statin. However, it causes significantly better reductions in total cholesterol at lower doses compared to the other drugs in this class Jones, It is available in 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg doses both generic and brand name and is typically taken once daily. Common side effects include muscle aches myalgia , headache, dizziness, nausea, and constipation.

There have also been reports of memory problems and confusion in some people, along with elevation of blood sugar levels in people with diabetes UpToDate, n. Muscle pain and weakness myopathy are more likely in people of Asian descent, and the elderly UpToDate, n. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take Crestor.

Lipitor is made by Pfizer and is one of the most commonly prescribed statins in the U. Salami, The rate of heart attacks, strokes and other major adverse heart events were low for the patient population and nearly identical for the two drugs -- 7. The month study completed by 1, heart patients taking either 80 milligrams of Lipitor or 40 mgs of Crestor used intravascular ultrasound IVUS to measure changes in atheroma volume, or plaque buildup, inside a diseased artery.

The primary end point of the study was percentage change in atheroma volume, which Crestor reduced by 1. Researchers considered reductions from both drugs to be clinically significant. But the difference between the two medicines was not statistically significant and thus considered a failure by Crestor to prove superiority.