Vytorin debate continues
A medication frequently prescribed for high cholesterol came under fire a few months ago when a trial showed the medication -- a combination of simvastin and ezetimibe -- worked no better than simvastin alone. Simvastin is a statin designed to lower LDL cholesterol; ezetimibe is another medication that should lower LDL in another way. The results of the trials regarding the efficacy of Vytorin are being discussed at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting this week. At this point, researchers aren't entirely sure if the results of the trial are indicative of how Vytorin would affect those with mildly high cholesterol or those who are newly diagnosed; all the participants in the study had very high cholesterol and had been under treatment for years.
It's interesting to see that Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, wants to make its Mevacor cholesterol-lowering drug available as an over-the-counter drug, but that is precisely what is happening.
In a new study that seems more like an advertisement than fact (to me, anyway), the risk of death or complete dependency 90 days after a stroke happens was enhanced if statin drugs were not kept on a patient's drug menu.
I guess it makes good business sense for consumer health care and large pharmaceutical firms to protect the patents and profits on drugs that they spent millions to develop -- but where does one draw the line?
Although newer pharmaceutical drugs have been hailed as killers by some and lifesavers by others, there is no doubt many of these come with undesirable side effects. With cholesterol on the minds of many these days, drugs to keep that under control are being prescribed in rising numbers.
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