Spotlight on cardiovascular drugs: Statins on the front line against heart disease

Cholesterol-lowering drugs also fight inflammation, stabilize plaque, prevent blood clots, and more.

Editors' note

Medications are a fact of life for almost everyone with cardiovascular disease. From aspirin to Zocor, these drugs work to ease symptoms, strengthen and protect the heart and blood vessels, and prevent potentially deadly events like heart attacks and strokes. With this article, we begin an occasional series that gives an overview of the various classes of cardiovascular medications.

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