"The implications are huge, absolutely huge, " says Harvard Medical School's Christopher Cannon, who led the Lipitor-versus-Pravachol study.

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Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, became involved with Merck's cardiovascular safety trials of Vioxx and Arcoxia in January 2002.

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Over the long haul, says Dr. Christopher Cannon of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the goal should be to prevent future episodes through more aggressive lowering of cholesterol and treatment with more anticlotting agents.

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