High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a measuement of inflammation, and numerous large studies have shown that high hsCRP levels increase the risk of having a future heart attack or stroke. As a result of these data, doctors can now use hsCRP measurements in addition to screening for traditional risk factors such as high LDL or "bad" cholesterol, in order to improve the identification of patients at risk for heart disease or stroke.

Statins are cholesterol-lowering medications, that have also been shown to reduce hsCRP levels. In this presentation Dr. Ridker describes two important studies providing new information about the effects of statins in terms of 1) CRP lowering and the associated reduction in the risk of a future heart attack or coronary death, and 2) CRP lowering and the associated regression of atherosclerosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

New data from the PROVE IT-TIMI 22 trial showed that in patients at very high risk having already suffered a heart attack, those achieving low cholesterol as well as low CRP levels with statin therapy had a substantially lower risk of a recurrent heart attack or coronary death compared to patients achieving a reduction in only cholesterol or only CRP.

The second study, the REVERSAL trial, was done in patients with stable coronary artery disease and showed that the amount of atherosclerosis present in the arteries went down in association with CRP lowering achieved with statin therapy.

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After viewing this presentation you will understand:

- The importance of cholesterol and CRP lowering with statin therapy in terms of reducing the risk of a future heart attack or coronary death in very high risk patients
- The effect of CRP lowering with statin therapy in terms of regression of atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease