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Editorial counterpoint: What are our priorities for prevention?

Last update: November 11, 2008 - 12:12 PM

Regarding the Tuesday editorial on the study of the benefits of the heart drug Crestor

 

Overall, the study found 83 heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiac causes among the 8,901 patients given Crestor (0.9 percent) comared with 157 in the equal number getting a placebo (1.8 percent). That means 120 people would need to be treated for two years at $3.45 a day per person to prevent just one cardiac event.

 

The total cost for the 120 people to prevent the one heart attack? It's $300,000.

 

This data is what the head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic called an "out-of-the park home run."

 

Now, taking the medicine still did not eliminate the risk; 83 people (who would be paying $3.45 per day each day for two years, roughly $2,500 per person) still had a heart attack. 

 

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