Can any statin prevent heart disease in people with normal cholesterol levels?
Statin drugs currently on the market include Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol, and Zocor. The JUPITER trial isn’t the first to show that statins can prevent heart events even in people with normal cholesterol levels. However, Crestor is the only statin approved by the FDA for preventing first-time heart disease in people who do not have high cholesterol. While it’s tempting to conclude from available data that any statin might have the same effect at effective doses, this has not been proven in clinical trials. And not all statins are the same. Some have more potent effects at lower doses, and some are more likely than others to cause side effects.
