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Study Finds Niacin Is Better Than Zetia At Reducing Artery Clogs
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by Yuliya Talmazan | November 16, 2009 at 11:03 am
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A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that Niacin (produced by Abbott and sold as Niaspan) is more effective than the new blockbuster drug ezetimibe (produced by Merck and sold as Zetia) at reducing artery-clogging deposits caused by high cholesterol levels. The two drugs use different mechanisms to lower cholesterol levels. While Niacin, a derivative of vitamin B, boosts the levels of HDL, or the "good cholesterol," Zetia lowers the levels of "bad cholesterol" or LDL. HDL helps remove LDL from artery walls.
There are even allegations Zetia might not be working against artery clogging at all.
"The question is whether ezetimibe works at all," says researcher Allen Taylor, MD, of the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. "Niacin has been around for 50 years. It's a well-understood drug, and in this trial it was clearly superior."
Producers of Zetia are on the defense, however. They claim the study was limited because of its small size and short length. Some of the editorials that accompanied the study said the way the trials were conducted should preclude doctors from declaring Niacin the drug of choice. Other sources claim the study was sponsored by Abbott, the maker of Niaspan.
While the findings of the study might make Zetia lose its ranking as a quality cholesterol-fighting drug, Niacin's side effects might still make Zetia useful for people who need a substitute for Niacin, which is known to be causing skin itching and flushing. It can also lead to indigestion and liver toxicity.
W. Douglas Weaver, MD, immediate past president of the American College of Cardiology, called niacin "an effective, but underutilized drug."
"For patients who cannot reach their cholesterol goals with statin therapy alone, this study, though small, shows that niacin is a much better choice than ezetimibe as an add-on medication. Until there is an outcomes trial, ezetimibe and Vytorin should be drugs of last resort. This study further reinforces our recommendations that statins should always be the first-line treatment," Weaver said.
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billy37 (not verified)at 16:10 on November 16th, 2009
Helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, fights cholesterol and also improves the body’s level of blood lipids, at least that’s what the experts are saying about Niaspan. Could this be a new wonder drug? Here is something else interesting I read about Niaspan.ketiva.com/Health/niaspan_the_composition_and_its_side_effects.html