Cholesterol Drugs Offer Great Benefit

Cholesterol drugs can reduce your risk for heart-attack or stroke dramatically, even if you don't have high cholesterol.

A two-year study recently concluded -- it was originally a 5-year study, but researchers ended it sooner because of the dramatic results -- which shows that those who aren't at risk re: cholesterol received enormous benefit from taking Crestor, a statin.

Crestor was found to reduce heart attacks, strokes, heart-related deaths or hospitalizations, or the need for an artery-opening procedure, by 44 percent.

"We reduced the risk of a heart attack by 54 percent, the risk of a stroke by 48 percent and the chance of needing bypass surgery or angioplasty by 46 percent," said researchers.

The problem, however, is the cost. Crestor costs over $3 a day, which would add up to $9 billion a year if everyone took it. A better possibility is generic forms of other cholesterol-reducing drugs.

For the MSNBC article, look here.