Heart-failure patients who are given Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug, are just as likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, and other fatal cardiovascular problems as those on standard therapy alone.
Results of a 5,000-patient study showed that Crestor is, in fact, no better than a placebo when it comes to saving lives. Although Crestor's cholesterol-lowering ability is well-documented, the so-called CORONA study was the first to test whether the drug actually improves patient outcomes in the long run.
No statin has before been tested to assess its ability to protect heart-failure patients from fatal health consequences. In fact, trials of statins have traditionally excluded heart-failure patients.