February 9, 2010 /EIN PRESSWIRE/ AstraZeneca has won FDA approval to market its cholesterol drug Crestor to people who have healthy cholesterol levels. Crestor can now be marketed to certain groups as a drug that can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

According to the AP, a 2008 study showed that Crestor reduced heart attacks, strokes and other problems by 44% in patients with normal cholesterol and slight heart disease risks. All patients had an elevated level of C-reactive protein, which is an indicator of inflammation that can lead to heart attack or stroke.

The FDA has now approved Crestor for men over 50 and women over 60 and who have elevated C-reactive protein levels and at least one risk factor for heart trouble, such as high blood pressure or a smoking habit.

Crestor is already AstraZeneca's third-best-selling drug, with revenue rising 29% to $4.5 billion last year, and now the FDA has cleared the way for up to 6 million more people in the US to buy the drug.

Read more about this story at Pharmaceutical Industry Today:

Latest Crestor news - http://pharmaceuticals.einnews.com/news/crestor
Latest AstraZeneca news - http://pharmaceuticals.einnews.com/news/astra-zeneca

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