Here ’s an Alternative to Statins for Lowering Cholesterol

Statins have revolutionized heart disease by lowering cholesterol effectively—by up to 50% or more. But anywhere from 7% to 29% of people who take them may be more susceptible to its side effects, which include weakening of muscles and pain, and decide they can’t tolerate them. In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, for example, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported that more than 20% of patients seen at the hospital from 2000 to 2018 who were recommended to take statins refused to take them, and those who refused took three times as long to lower their LDL cholesterol to target levels. While alternative drugs, such as PCSK9 inhibitors, exist, they must be injected (unlike statins, which are pills), and can be far more costly than statins, many of which are available in generic form. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, researchers report on a study testing the effectiveness of another potential alternative—bempedoic acid—to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Made by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Esperion Therapeutics (which funded the study) and sold under the brand name Nexletol, bempedoic acid is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lower cholesterol. But doctors have been hesitant to prescribe it for people who can’t take stat...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate heart health Source Type: news