Cholesterol is a type of lipid that travels in your blood in a complex with protein and triglycerides, called a lipoprotein. Your body needs cholesterol to build cell membranes, to produce hormones and for many biochemical reactions. But when your cholesterol is too high, you are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Crestor works by raising levels of high-density lipoprotein or HDL, called "good" cholesterol, while lowering levels of low-density lipoprotein or LDL, called "bad" cholesterol.
HDL and LDL
When levels of LDL in your blood are too high, excess cholesterol may build up on your arterial walls, interfering with blood flow and putting you at risk for heart disease. HDL, however, acts as a scavenger of excess blood cholesterol, carrying it back to your liver, which degrades it. As a result, higher levels of HDL help keep "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, low and protect you from cardiovascular disease. One strategy to keep your HDL level high and to lower your LDL is to take Crestor.
Crestor
Crestor, or rosuvastatin, is a member of a drug class called "statins" that can improve your blood cholesterol profile by modifying the activity of your liver. Crestor suppresses an enzyme in liver cells called HMG-CoA reductase, which these cells use to manufacture cholesterol. As a result, LDL levels in blood are likely to fall while HDL may rise, as more cholesterol is carried back to the liver. A number of clinical trials have examined the effect of rosuvastatin on lipid profiles in human subjects.
The MERCURY I Trial
In a large clinical trial of over 3000 subjects at risk for heart disease, published as the MERCURY I trial in "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism" in 2005, rosuvastatiin was compared to other statin drugs for its ability to raise HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. The study concluded that Crestor was very effective in both respects and had advantages over other statin drugs since it produced greater changes in cholesterol than the other medications tested in the trial.
Recommendations and Precautions
Your doctor may recommend Crestor to improve your cholesterol levels and lower your risk of serious disease. Crestor may cause some minor side effects such as constipation, heartburn, dizziness or cough. However, in some cases side effects may be more serious and include muscle pain, loss of energy, fever, difficulty swallowing or chest pain. If you take Crestor, be sure to consult your doctor regularly.
References
- Drugs.com: Crestor
- MedlinePlus: Rosuvastatin
- MayoClinic.com: HDL Cholesterol: How To Boost Your "Good" Cholesterol
- National Cholesterol Education Program: High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need To Know
- Astra Zeneca: About Crestor
- "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism"; Comparison of Rosuvastatin with Atorvastatin, Simvastatin and Pravastatin in Achieving Cholesterol....the MERCURY I Trial; S. Stender et al.; July 2005
