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NEW ORLEANS - Taking one drug to boost "good" cholesterol and another to lower its evil twin can slow the progression of heart disease more effectively than one medicine alone, the first study to test this dual approach has found.
The added benefits came from taking niacin, a type of B vitamin, on top of statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to millions of Americans and sold under such brand names as Lipitor and Zocor.
"This ushers in a new era of taking a two-pronged approach" to controlling cholesterol, said the study's leader, Dr. Allen Taylor, director of cardiovascular research for the Cardiology Service of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The study was reported Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference.
Doctors said the niacin research could give them a new way to treat high cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease, strokes and other problems.
LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, has long been the focus of their efforts, and the ability of statin drugs to drop it has made them the best-selling medications in America.
But attention increasingly is turning to HDL, or "good" cholesterol, which helps remove fats from the blood. Some research suggests it may matter as much as or even more than LDL in heart disease risk.