Journal of the American Heart Association. High blood cholesterol levels and inflammation both may contribute to the fundamental process driving atherosclerosis, fatty deposits that may block blood vessels.
Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of heart attacks or stroke.
We have known for some time that elevated C-reactive protein, a chemical marker for inflammation, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. What we didn't know was CRP could be lowered with cholesterol-lowering drugs. The researchers used a high sensitivity test to measure blood levels of CRP at baseline and after five years. While CRP levels tended to increase in the placebo group, the drug-treated group had significant reductions in CRP levels. After five years, CRP levels among those taking the drug were almost 38 percent lower than the placebo group's, the researchers report.