November 21, 2011 | In: Articles, Health Care, drugs

Lipitor: A Cheaper Way To Reduce Cholesterol

Lipitor is the best-selling blockbuster statin, with annual sales of over $ 7 billion of the nation.

Physicians to write millions of prescriptions a year for cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins.

As of December 1, Lipitor will not cost more.

It is generic.

Experts believe that patients and doctors can be overwhelming to go generic Lipitor, especially now that a new survey shows almost no difference between Lipitor and a brand name drug correspondingly big names, Crestor.

Dr. Stephen Nicholls, Cleveland Clinic helped lead the analysis of face-to-head Lipitor and Crestor.

Drugs not only lower bad cholesterol levels too high doses of these drugs have proven to be safe and actually reduce the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

“Traditionally, we thought all we could do was perhaps slow the growth of plaque,” Dr. Nicholls said. “The idea that you could actually remove plaque was something we never thought we would be able to do.”

The amount of plaque removed the small and it is unclear whether it will result in fewer heart attacks or strokes.

Physicians who presented the research at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando Tuesday are excited about its potential.

About a third of study participants never completed the study comparing Crestor and Lipitor, experts say so outside there is a chance the results would change if the data collected from all involved.

from http://www.41nbc.com/news/health-news/8865-cheaper-way-to-cut-your-cholesterol