Study: Abbott's Niaspan reduces arteries' plaque buildup
Combining Abbott Laboratories' cholesterol pill Niaspan with an older medicine, called a statin, reduced plaque buildup more than the statin alone, a study found.
Patients taking Niaspan and a statin had a 1.1 millimeter reduction in the thickness of their arteries over 12 months, researchers said in a study released today by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Those taking just a statin had an increase in arterial thickness.
The finding comes two weeks before a separate study, called Arbiter 6-Halts, comparing Merck & Co.'s cholesterol pill Vytorin to Niaspan using a similar measurement technique, is scheduled to be presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando.
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