Emerging lipid lowering agents targeting LDL cholesterol.

Emerging lipid lowering agents targeting LDL cholesterol. Postgrad Med. 2020 Apr 03;: Authors: Wójcik C Abstract Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. ASCVD is caused by elevated levels of ApoB lipoproteins, which over many years penetrate the arterial subendothelial space leading to plaque growth and eventually rupture causing clinical symptoms. ApoB lipoprotein levels are approximated in clinical practice by LDL-C measurement. LDL-C lowering agents (statins, ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors) reduce cardiovascular risk in primary and secondary prevention proportionally to LDL-C reduction (23% per 1 mmol/L of LDL). However, for a variety of reasons, many patients do not achieve their recommended LDL-C levels using currently available therapies. This has prompted the development of new LDL-C lowering drugs in the hope to reduce cardiovascular risk, such as bempedoic acid, inclisiran, gemcabene and evinacumab. Drugs targeting other lipids (triglycerides, HDL-C, lipoprotein (a)), intravascular inflammation or acting by other mechanisms also have a role in atherosclerosis prevention, however, they will not be covered in this review. PMID: 32243228 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Postgraduate Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Tags: Postgrad Med Source Type: research