Changing from Pravachol to Lipitor?

seeyamate said:

I have been taking 10mg of Pravachol nightly for the past ten years, after angioplasty for a
blocked RCA and my lipid profile meets the US guidelines. Total Chol. is 143mg/dL and my LDL is
88.9mg/dL . However I now learn that some claims are made that :
1) Having LDL as low as possible , that is lower than the suggested bottom of the range of the
AHA, is better than simply meeting the current US guidelines.

This is controversial.

Quoted message said:

2) Lipitor apparently not only lowers the LDL it also brings about a reversal of plaque build up
in the arteries. My questions are these a) How low should I aim to drop my level of LDL .

The consensus is less than 100 mg/dL.

Quoted message said:

Can it be too low?

In theory, yes. However, this is also controversial.

Quoted message said:

and b) Since by taking Pravachol I am actually, albeit slowly, building up the plaque level in my
arteries , should I switch to Lipitor and take advantage of the claim that Lipitor unlike
Pravachol actually reverses plaque build up in the arteries. I also take daily 10mgTritace (
Ramipril) and 4mg coumadin (warfarin). I am aged 74. Thanks everyone, Tom

Tom, would suggest you discuss your questions and concerns with your doctor.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

--
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

It seems to me I heard somewhere that seeyamate wrote in article
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I have been taking 10mg of Pravachol nightly for the past ten years, after angioplasty for a
blocked RCA and my lipid profile meets the US guidelines. Total Chol. is 143mg/dL and my LDL is
88.9mg/dL . However I now learn that some claims are made that :
1) Having LDL as low as possible , that is lower than the suggested bottom of the range of the AHA,
is better than simply meeting the current US guidelines.
2) Lipitor apparently not only lowers the LDL it also brings about a reversal of plaque build up in
the arteries.

I asked my first (diagnosis/cath procedures) cardiologist this specific question, and he didn't
believe actual reversal occurs. What he did believe is that the bulk of the plaque may be reduced,
from becoming more dense.

This was going on six years ago, so there may be more conclusive studies since then. Maybe someone
here has references.

Quoted message said:

My questions are these a) How low should I aim to drop my level of LDL . Can it be too low? and b)
Since by taking Pravachol I am actually, albeit slowly, building up the plaque level in my arteries
, should I switch to Lipitor and take advantage of the claim that Lipitor unlike Pravachol actually
reverses plaque build up in the arteries. I also take daily 10mgTritace ( Ramipril) and 4mg
coumadin (warfarin). I am aged 74. Thanks everyone, Tom

I've got you beat on age, Tom (75). I started on Pravachol, but it wasn't doing enough for the LDL
and I was quickly switched to Lipitor. We had to get up to 80mg to get all the numbers in safe
territory.
--
Don [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I asked my first (diagnosis/cath procedures) cardiologist this specific question, and he didn't
believe actual reversal occurs.

Quoted message said:

This was going on six years ago, so there may be more conclusive studies since then. Maybe someone
here has references.

ncbi.nlm.nih.govquery.fcgiOpen ↗
uids=12888149&dopt=Abstract

[email hidden] (Elva4) wrote in part:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I asked my first (diagnosis/cath procedures) cardiologist this specific question, and he didn't
believe actual reversal occurs.

Quoted message said:

This was going on six years ago, so there may be more conclusive studies since then. Maybe someone
here has references.

ncbi.nlm.nih.govquery.fcgiOpen ↗
uids=12888149&dopt=Abstract

Just to add a more upbeat note, I've been impressed with the research relating to reversal from both
high levels of DHA and the Esperion HDL injections.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA