Aesthetic Medicine Today
Crestor

December 17, 2009
An FDA advisory panel recommended to expand the indications for the use of Crestor
in protecting individuals from other illnesses such as macular degeneration, glaucoma
and cataracts, as well as reducing inflammation which leads to heart disease.

Crestor, (rosuvastatin) is an extremely effective statin which has been proven to
reduce LDL and Triglycerides while increasing HDL (protective lipid) production in the
liver.

In the Crestor study of 18,000 patients; 20% were risk reduction in heart attack and
44% risk reduction in stroke was noted.  This study known as ‘Jupiter” was
terminated after 2 years rather than the expected 4 years.

The drug could prevent 250,000 heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart
disease over a five-year period if it’s widely used by people with normal cholesterol
and elevated levels of C- reactive protein, a measure of inflammation, according to
London-based AstraZeneca. As many as 32 million people could benefit from the
Crestor, the company said when the initial results of its research were released last
year.

“Please keep in mind that an estimated 6 million middle- aged and older men and
women in the United States” would qualify for treatment with Crestor based on the
patients enrolled in the Jupiter study, the FDA staff said in the documents.

Patients could qualify for Crestor use based on elevated inflammation levels or other
heart disease risks, including age, high blood pressure, smoking or a family history of
heart disease, according to the company. All patients enrolled in the study had high
levels of inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP).