In light of the success of the statin drugs, interest in preventivecardiology has shifted to new frontiers of pharmacologic intervention:defining optimal levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,inhibiting cholesterol absorption, addressing the inflammatorycomponent of atherosclerosis, and increasing the levels of protectivehigh-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This last approachattracted attention last year when it was reported that a newdrug, torcetrapib, could substantially increase levels of HDLcholesterol by inhibiting cholesteryl ester transfer protein.1The drug was heralded as a novel weapon against heart diseasethat could be an important clinical tool if its effect on lipids. . . [Full Text of this Article]
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Dr. Avorn is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital both in Boston.
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