This Father’s Day, AstraZeneca Encourages You to Think about Your Cholesterol Level and Atherosclerosis

This Father’s Day, AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) is encouraging people to talk with the special men in their lives about managing their cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” because too much of it in the blood can lead to the slow build up of plaque in the arteries over time, a serious disease called atherosclerosis.1 What many people don’t know is that plaque tends to build up slowly in the arteries, so they may have no symptoms.1

“Father’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate and honor Dad, but it can also be used as an important opportunity for fathers and their families to talk frankly about their health,” said Philip de Vane, M.D., Executive Director of Clinical Development, AstraZeneca. “In addition, the week leading up to Father’s Day is National Men’s Health Week so this is a good time to raise awareness about health issues that impact men, like high cholesterol and atherosclerosis.”

Having high cholesterol and health factors such as family history of early heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, age and obesity makes it even more important to work with your doctor to get cholesterol levels where they should be.2 It’s important to manage your cholesterol and reach your goals, because if you don’t, your high cholesterol along with these other health factors may contribute to the build up of plaque in your arteries over time.2

If you or a loved one has high cholesterol and other health factors that can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, your doctor will be able to recommend lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your LDL levels and slow plaque build up. This can include quitting smoking, eating more healthily or exercising more.3

Since some people may not know what to ask when they talk to their doctor, AstraZeneca has provided some questions that may be helpful:

• What are my cholesterol levels and which ones are most important?
• What should my cholesterol goals be?
• Based on my complete health history, what do my cholesterol numbers mean?
• What steps can I take to help manage my cholesterol levels and slow plaque build up in arteries?
• Do my health factors increase my risk for plaque build up in arteries?
• Can you recommend specific lifestyle changes that would be helpful?

Managing Cholesterol

When doctors check cholesterol, they evaluate three main components, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and another substance called triglycerides.2,4 Total cholesterol is based on LDL, HDL and triglyceride counts.2,4 Generally, lower total cholesterol levels (under 200 mg/dL) are considered desirable.1 Adults over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines.2

Cholesterol can be harmful to your health when there’s too much of it in your blood.3 Everyone with high cholesterol needs to keep it under control. For some patients, changes in lifestyle may not been enough, and a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) may be prescribed when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough.4,5 Along with diet, CRESTOR has proven to lower LDL cholesterol by more than half - up to 52% (at the 10-mg dose versus 7% with placebo). CRESTOR is also proven to slow plaque build up in arteries as part of a treatment plan in adults to lower cholesterol to goal.5

About National Men’s Health Week

National Men’s Health Week, from June 13 to 19, is celebrated each year as the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. The purpose of National Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The week-long awareness campaign is run by Men’s Health Network, a national non-profit organization. To learn more visit www.menshealthweek.org.

To learn more about cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis, please visit CRESTOR.com.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) Tablets

When diet and exercise alone aren't enough, adding CRESTOR can help.

In adults, CRESTOR is prescribed along with diet to lower high cholesterol, and to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries as part of a treatment plan to lower cholesterol to goal.

CRESTOR is also prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people without known heart disease, but at increased risk based on age (men 50 years and older, women 60 years and older), elevated blood levels of hsCRP (which is a sign of inflammation that can be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events), plus at least one additional risk factor (such as high blood pressure, low HDL "good" cholesterol, smoking, or family history of early heart disease).

Important Safety Information about CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) Tablets

CRESTOR is not right for everyone, including anyone who has previously had an allergic reaction to CRESTOR, anyone with liver problems, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant. Your doctor should do blood tests before and during treatment with CRESTOR to monitor your liver function. Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away. Elevated blood sugar levels have been reported with statins, including CRESTOR. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any medications. The most common side effects are headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea.

Please read the full Prescribing Information.

If you have any questions concerning CRESTOR, please visit CRESTOR.com or contact AstraZeneca at 1-800-CRESTOR.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

For more information about AstraZeneca in the U.S. or our AZ&Me™ Prescription Savings programs, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com or call 1-800-AZandMe (292-6363).

CRESTOR is a registered trademark, and AZ&Me is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies. ©2011 AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. All rights reserved. 1230802 6/11

1 “What is Atherosclerosis?” National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Atherosclerosis/Atherosclerosis_WhatIs.html. Accessed April 1, 2011.

2 Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III): Final Report. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; September 2002. NIH Publication No. 02-5215. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/

3 American Heart Association. Conditions. Cholesterol. Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol. 2010. Available at http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Prevention-and-Treatment-of-High-Cholesterol_UCM_001215_Article.jsp. Accessed March 24, 2011.

4 Your Guide to Lowering Cholesterol with TLC: National Institutes of Health; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; December 2005. NIH Publication No. 06–5235

5 Prescribing information for CRESTOR.