New Ways To Fight Second Heart Attacks

New Ways To Fight Second Heart Attacks

Each year, nearly 6 million Americans are hospitalized with heart disease. In fact, every 29 seconds, an American suffers a coronary event such as heart attack, heart surgery, stroke or chest pain. Many of those coronary events can be attributed to hi

gh levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.

Cutting levels of bad cholesterol can reduce the chances of heart disease and major coronary events. But until recently, the world's most prescribed cholesterol-lowering therapy-Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium)-was approved to treat only those patients without pre-existing heart disease.

Now, after a recent FDA approval, doctors can use the drug to treat patients at high risk for cardiovascular events because of pre-existing heart disease.

The drug is approved for five new uses: to reduce the risk of nonfatal heart attacks, fatal and nonfatal strokes, chest pain, certain types of heart surgery and hospitalization for heart failure in patients with heart disease. It's the first cholesterol-lowering medication to receive FDA approval to reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure.

"These indications are important since many patients who have heart disease remain at risk for another cardi

ovascular event, and now these indications broaden the means to reduce their risk," said Dr. John C. LaRosa, president and professor of medicine at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

This year alone, an estimated 300,000 Americans will have a recurrent heart attack. Living a heart-healthy lifestyle filled with regular exercise, a low-fat diet and not smoking is the key to reducing the risk of a second heart attack and stroke.

However, cholesterol-lowering medications may help as well when combined with these daily activities. Talk to your doctor to ensure you're on the right path to reducing your risk. Lipitor is the only statin to offer a unique combination of proven significant cardiovascular event reductions, impressive average LDL lowering of 39 percent to 60 percent, and a well-established safety profile across a broad range of patients.

Note to Editors: Lipitor is a prescription medication. It is used in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease, such as family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL ("good" cholesterol) or smoking, to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, certain kinds of heart surgery and chest pain. Lipitor is used in patients with existing coronary heart disease to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, certain kinds of heart surgery, hospitalization for heart failure and chest pain. Lipitor is also used in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure, smoking or complications of diabetes, including eye disease and protein in urine, to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. When diet and exercise alone are not enough, Lipitor is used along with a low-fat diet and exercise to lower cholesterol. Lipitor is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems. And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. Patients taking Lipitor should tell their doctors if they feel any new muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of rare but serious muscle side effects. Patients should tell their doctors about all medications they take. This may help avoid serious drug interactions. Doctors should do blood tests to check liver function before and during treatment and may adjust the dose. The most common side effects are gas, constipation, stomach pain and heartburn. They tend to be mild and often go away.
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For more information, visit www.Lipitor.com.

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