A Drug To Prevent High Cholesterol: Is It Worthwhile?

The government recently gave the okay for a cholesterol-lowering drug to be used to prevent high cholesterol. Rosuvastatin (Crestor) could now be taken by people who have no cholesterol problem but are at risk for high cholesterol. Right now, about 40 million people who already have high cholesterol take statins. These drugs lower cholesterol with few side effects. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. But a large study found that while taking rosuvastatin does protect against these events, they are rare in people who don’t have high cholesterol. According to that study, called JUPITER, about 500 people would need to be treated with rosuvastatin for a year to avoid one heart attack. That would cost about $638,000.