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Lipitor News

Findings show Lipitor does not prevent obstruction of the heart valve

June 9, 2005

According to recent findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Pfizer's popular cholesterol-reducing Drug Lipitor does not prevent obstruction of the heart valve that leads to the body's largest artery - the aorta.

The study was conducted to determine if Lipitor was able to provide more benefits than just reducing cholesterol, but the drug was unable to prevent obstructions that can keep the heart from adequately pumping blood.

Called calcified aortic stenosis, the condition results when a key heart valve narrows or becomes blocked, which prevents the heart from pumping blood properly and can show itself despite reductions of cholesterol levels.

Aortic stenosis is the most common valve defect in North America and Europe, affecting three percent of adults over the age of 75. The condition occurs gradually over several decades, and by the time symptoms appear, surgery is usually needed to either repair or replace the valve.

The study lasted a little over two years, involving 155 volunteers with signs of calcified aortic stenosis given either a placebo or Lipitor, and the team found that as expected, Lipitor brought cholesterol levels down, but was unable to produce any real improvements in regard to obstructions.

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