American College of Cardiology annual meeting, March 6–9, Orlando

Treating to new targets

What's good for people recovering from a heart attack seems to be just as good for those with stable heart disease.

The Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial compared the impact of low and high doses of the same statin, Lipitor (atorvastatin), on 10,001 people with stable heart disease. This large category includes heart attack survivors, those with chest pain (angina) from cholesterol-clogged arteries, and those who had bypass surgery or artery-opening angioplasty. The volunteers who took 10 milligrams (mg) of Lipitor a day achieved a respectably low average LDL level of 101. The volunteers taking 80 mg a day got their average LDL down to 77.