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10
NATII
Tuesday, March 9, 2004
the BATTAlli
Aggressive cholesterol-lowering
improves heart attack survival
By Daniel Q. Haney
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — A major study released Monday found that
especially aggressive treatment with statin drugs, intended to drive
cholesterol far below current standards, prevents new heart prob
lems and saves lives.
These drug are a cornerstone of cardiac care, routinely prescribed
for heart attack victims. However, the new results suggest doctors
should opt for high doses of the most powerful brands to give recent
ly discharged heart patients the best chance of survival.
“It’s a lifesaving strategy and will become a huge paradigm shift
in the treatment of patients with high cholesterol,” predicted Dr.
Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic.
For several years, federal guidelines have recommended bringing
down heart attack patients’ levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol, below
100. To test whether this is far enough, doctors compared two strate
gies — moderate doses of an older statin versus high doses of a
more powerful newer one.
The older drug, Pravachol, dropped patients’ LDL by almost one-
quarter to 95. But the newer one, Lipitor, cut it in half to just 62.
The lower cholesterol made a difference. After two years of fol
low-up, 26 percent of those getting Pravachol had died or experi
enced a variety of other ill events, including new heart attacks,
bypass surgery, rehospitalization for chest pain or strokes. The same
happened in 22 percent on Lipitor.
“We have very big news in the treatment of cholesterol,” said the
study’s director. Dr. Christopher Cannon of Boston’s Brigham and
Women’s Hospital. Heart attack "patients going home from the hos-
Lowering cholesterol, improving suivival
Lowering heart attack victims’ cholesterol below current stand*;
improves heart attack survival, according to a new study. It
suggests the newer, more potent variety of the statin drug, Upito
worked best with high-risk patients.
Percent who died or experienced other ill events*
Used 40 milligrams ol Pravachol dally ... or 80 milligrams of Lipitor daily
HBl 26% died or 22% died or
■ become ill become 11
A5
* 4,162 patients with a new heart attack or severe chest pain were randomly assg«:
one of two drugs daily. After a two years of follow up, researchers looked alvifc
patients had died or experienced other ill events such as a new heart attack
SOURCES The New England Journal ol Medicine; Associated Press
pital beginning today need to be treated withjnore intensiveclti
terol-lowering.”
Doctors caution that it is still too soon to say whether the si
true for heart patients w ho have not had recent heart attacks.Sei
studies are under way to see if they, too, benefit from getting!
LDL far below 100.
Nevertheless, Cannon and others said the LDL goalforre
heart attack patients should be lowered, and soon. Dr. Tlio
Pearson of the University of Rochester, who helped draw uptk
eral guidelines several years ago, said the 100 target was agn
based on very early research data.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
The other 'Alain
still open for fib
BRACKETTVILLE, Tf;
(AP) — A Western movie
with a replica of the Alamo
scene for John Wayne’sfc
the shrine of Texas liberty,
bypassed for the latest rerr,
of the Texas epic. Butitsm
says it’s still a locale fors.
productions.
Alamo Village, located a
120 miles west of San M
was the state’s first permare
outdoor movie location andti
itself as the largest and m
complete movie setinttienatc
Virginia Shahan, whose
husband Happy persuadi
Wayne in 1957 to mate
movie in Brackettville, sa^s
500-acre ranch that indi
the set originally built to res
ble San Antonio as thf
appeared in 1836 is for
The asking price is $6.5 n#
A new movie
Alamo battle, shot lastjt
used a new set built cto
Austin, near Dripping Spi
That two-hour film, also
“The Alamo” and produc
Touchstone Pictures, a di
of Walt Disney Studios, ii
to open April 9.
Since Wayne’s film atl
Village, more than 100
films and television slw as P ro
ranging from an IMAXprod | an yf
tree/
A
C 4
K
tion on the Alamo to
Westerns, have been
the complete Old West tow
Texas cafeterias
step up nutritb
icesse
fthe c
In tl
iscove
isalte
DALLAS (AP) — At si “Ppon
South Texas schools, a ( °ww;
plan for serving nui Mner
meals to children is a iei “rest;
Old favorites like | yisei
tamales, breakfast tacos e caus(
bacon and nacho cheese onserv
injected with oil taken ft# Han
small, herringlike fish, flu a Per,l
contains omega-3 fatty ai ;v eral
which research has linkei M pa
positive health effects, inclJ ,e nt sj
decreased risk of heart alts
But critics are skeptical ;rv ativ
benefits from adding a Pel 0' wa:
fat to unhealthy foods. 1 ited tc
say the quantity of oma 113 wh
added to foods is toosmi teorit
lo Ion:
have any health benefit
Earlier this month, III
Agriculture Commissi
Susan Combs issued
school nutrition polio)
restrictions on fried anC
fatty foods, setting rul
types of foods that call
served in public schools,
Advocates of fish oil safl
way to make lunchtimeW
er without getting rkh
dren’s favorite foods.
“I’d say this is a milesiii'csof
Margaret Lopez, wholealj
child nutrition program t
Texas Education Age
Region I that includes dis|
in the Rio Grande Vs
The Dallas Morning
Monday’s editions.
However, others sa
rather put their energies
teaching kids howtoeatt*
than adding a bit of nut# ’Pair i
fatty tamales.
frsecu
aning
fould:
The
! v oluti
'Venn
| 3 Pose
> r s ant
le $e re
beral t
I len i, p
leasar
tyen-
konse
I 'Peric
:r ned
v iden(
Pong
lion c
Pdent;
This
3| lty 0
® e He (