Crestor
Crestor, the cholesterol lowering statin by Astra Zeneca
Crestor - Information and Advice
Crestor, generic name rosuvastatin calcium, belongs to the group of drugs known as statins that are prescribed to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is made by the liver, and Crestor works by blocking an enzyme in the liver. By doing this, it reduces the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol made by the liver and increases the amount HDL (good) cholesterol made.
Thus, the total cholesterol in the blood stream is reduced, and the progression of atherosclerosis is slowed.
How effective is Crestor?
Crestor can decrease the LDL cholesterol level by up to 52% with the 10-mg dose (the standard starting dose is 5-mg). In parallel with this, it can increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in your blood by up to 14%. Of course, the results for everyone vary. To get the best benefits, you should still follow a low fat diet and take regular, fat burning (aerobic) exercise.
Crestor originally was prescribed as a drug that could slow the progression towards atherosclerosis. However, in a recent 15,000 patient study, the findings proved that the drug also significantly reduces the risks of heart problems, making this drug perhaps more effective than the other statins on the market.
The AstraZeneca study, which has a code name "Jupiter", was designed to see if taking Crestor lead to a reduction in heart attacks and associated problems in at-risk patients, even if they did not have high cholesterol. The study was stopped after independent monitors saw "unequivocal evidence of a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity".
However, because Crestor is a new drug, it is still within its patent protection period. The majority of doctors in the UK, unless there are good clinical reasons for prescribing Crestor, will prescribe cheaper generic versions of statins that are out of the patent period. The five statins currently used in the UK are: atorvastatin,
fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin.
In 2008, research showed that Crestor could reduce the risk of a cardiac event or a cardiovascular complication in patients with elevated C-reactive protein but no other risk factors. (An elevated C-reactive protein is indicative of inflammation and is sometimes used as a very approximate guide to the risk of a patient developing heart disease. Generally patients with a level above 2.4 mg/l have double the risk of a heart attack to those with levels below 1 mg/l).
About Crestor
Crestor has been approved by regulators in more than 150 countries, and so far over 12 million patients have been prescribed Crestor worldwide. It was approved by the FDA for use in the United States on August 12th, 2003. Data from clinical trials and epidemiological use shows that Crestor has a similar safety profile to other statins on the market. Crestor is approved for the treatment of high LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and/or triglycerides. Note that a rare side effect of taking a statin is Rhabdomyolysis. If you get unexplained muscle pain, you should see your doctor straight away.
Crestor is available in tablet form (5mg, 10mg, 20mg, and 40 mg) and is taken orally, although the vast majority of people receive a dose of 20mg or less. In Japan, approval has not been given for doses in excess of 20mg. Crestor tablets are pink, round (5mg, 10mg and 20mg) or oval (40 mg), biconvex, film-coated, and imprinted with "ZD4522" and tablet strength.
Where can I obtain a prescription for Crestor?
You can get an online consultation and a prescription for Crestor from a doctor based in the EU from 121Doc.
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