New Data Examines the Effect of Adding a Statin to Optimized Treatment for Patients with Advanced Heart Failure

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 5  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New data from the CORONA study presented today at the American Heart Association 2007 Scientific Sessions showed that adding a statin to optimized heart failure treatment did not significantly improve the prognosis for patients with advanced heart failure because it could not reverse or prevent the deterioration of a failing heart.

Patients taking AstraZeneca's CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) 10 mg experienced an 8 percent reduction in the combined primary endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke, which was not statistically significant (p=0.12).  This reduction was primarily driven by a decrease in atherosclerotic events, i.e. stroke and myocardial infarctions (post hoc analysis, nominal p=0.05), where statins have been proven to have benefit.  In this study the majority of deaths were due to sudden death, or non-ischemic causes, which did not appear to be impacted by statin therapy. In addition, significantly fewer hospitalizations occurred in patients on CRESTOR compared to placebo, whether due to any cause (p=0.007), cardiovascular causes (p