William Atkins
Wednesday, 12 November 2008 07:52
Science -
Health
Page 2 of 3
Each person, according to the paper, had cholesterol levels below those usually needing treatment for high levels of cholesterol.
Specifically, each subject had low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels of less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (3.4 millimoles per liter).
However, they had increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). Specifically, each subject had high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels of 2.0 milligram per liter or higher.
The high levels of CRP tell medical professionals that an inflammation within the body exists and it is likely an early indicator of cardiovascular problems. C-reactive protein is a plasma protein that is produced by the liver and adipocytes (cells that store fats).
They did not have any other symptoms of heart disease.
Each participant were given either a placebo (a sugar pill as a control) or 20 milligrams of rosuvastatin each day.
The researchers then observed them to see if they had any of the following problems:
“myocardial infarction, stroke, arterial revascularization, hospitalization for unstable angina, or death from cardiovascular causes.”
Page three contains the results of the study.
