Slick advertising of anti-cholesterol drugs has persuaded thousands of Americans to demand the medicine, making fat-cutters one of the pharmaceutical industry's fastest-growing products.
Painstaking research and positive reviews are playing a big role in the popularity and success of the drugs, known as statins. But promotions aimed directly at the public haven't hurt.Newspapers, magazines and television are peppered with advertisements of feel-good images, "Happy Birthday Dad" cards and smiling, gray-haired men chasing their grandsons on the beach.
"It's your future," says one ad. "Be there."
In February, a new more-potent competitor called Lipitor blasted onto the scene following months of subtle promotion to doctors. By early this week, it had already grabbed a stunning 5 percent market share among the most popular class of anti-cholesterol drugs, called statins.
"They've had everybody salivating for it," said Dr. Richard Pasternak, director of preventive cardi-ology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
For decades, doctors have believed that high cholesterol contributes to heart disease by causing a buildup of fatty plaque in coronary arteries. Despite the danger, high cholesterol remains grossly undertreated.
Merck & Co., maker of the statins Zocor and Mevacor, estimates that only 30 percent of the 13 million Americans with symptoms of heart disease are reducing their cholesterol. An additional 16 million with high cholesterol, but no symptoms of heart disease, are untreated.
Statins appear to be effective at reducing cholesterol and saving lives.
Three major studies since 1994, in Scandinavia, Scotland and the United States, showed statins can reduce deaths from heart attacks by 24 percent to 42 percent, even in people with no symptoms of heart disease.
The studies quantified the benefits for the first time, and statistics make for powerful ad campaigns.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Acceptable levels
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends the following maximum target levels for LDL or "bad" cholesterol (based on each patient's risk factors - age, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes or family's history of heart disease, among others):
- People with symptoms of heart disease, including a prior heart attack, bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty to clear arteries. Target: 100 or less.
- People with two or more risk factors and no symptoms of heart disease. Target: below 130.
- People with less than two risk factors and no symptoms of heart disease. Target: below 160.