It's no secret that statins lower the blood level of LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol that is likely to clog arteries, or that niacin raises the level of HDL, the 'good' cholesterol that helps dissolve cholesterol deposits from the artery walls. But researchers have just reported that combining the two actually reverses the blockage of vessels by plaque. In so doing, it can reduce the risk of heart attack by a whopping 70%, according to a study reported to the AHA annual meeting in November.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Greg Brown of the University of Washington, noted, 'With statins you expect a slowing of the disease progression, but not a stopping. Arteries continue to narrow but not as fast. However, with the combination, the artery blocking actually improves.' He added, 'What we saw was a reversal of the disease. The patients' arteries, on average, had stopped narrowing and begun to improve.'

The findings are based on angiograms taken at the beginning of the study and again after 3 years of treatment. The 160 patients in the study had low levels of good HDL and average levels of bad cholesterol. Patients in the combination treatment group received simvastatin and moderately high levels of niacin.