CRESTOR..a medicine to treat high
cholesterol!CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) is a prescription medicine used to treat
high
cholesterol. It belongs to a group of
medicines — called statins — that lower cholesterol. Sometimes, people resist taking medicine to lower their cholesterol because they think all they need is willpower. They think if they just cut a little fatter out of their diet, and make it to the gym once more each week, that should do it. But studies have shown that, for many people, diet and exercise don't lower cholesterol enough. One reason is that most of the cholesterol in our blood is made right inside our bodies, by the liver. And that's where CRESTOR works. It lowers the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. CRESTOR can cut the bad cholesterol by about half (52% at the 10-mg dose versus 7% with placebo; your results may vary). CRESTOR lowers the amount of total cholesterol in the bloodstream. CRESTOR lowers LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, and triglycerides, a form of fat that's carried through the bloodstream. CRESTOR also increases the amount of HDL cholesterol, often called "good" cholesterol, in the blood. CRESTOR is used to treat patients with high cholesterol after diet and exercise have not been enough to lower cholesterol sufficiently. After starting CRESTOR, you should still follow a diet low in fat and cholesterol and exercise regularly in order to get the most benefit from CRESTOR. Only your doctor can decide if CRESTOR is right for you. Be sure to tell your doctor if you: · Have ever had any liver problems · Drink alcohol regularly or excessively (because alcohol can affect the way the liver works) · Are pregnant or nursing · Have ever had kidney problems · Have a family history of high cholesterol · Have any other medical problems such as diabetes, low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism), or other conditions associated with cholesterol · Have had a heart attack or stroke · Are of Chinese or Japanese ancestry · Are taking any prescription medicines, including:
o Cyclosporine (Sandimmune® , Neoral®), a medicine with multiple uses, including use after organ transplants or for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis o A blood thinner called warfarin (Coumadin®) o Certain types of other medicines that lower cholesterol, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid®), clofibrate (Atromid-S®), fenofibrate (Tricor®), and niacin (Niaspan®, Niacor®)
· Are taking any over-the-counter medicines, including antacids. CRESTOR has not been shown to prevent heart attacks, heart disease, or strokes.