Low levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) appear connected to many health risks, not just heart disease
This study found that lower HDL cholesterol levels were associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular causes, as prior studies have shown. However, there was also a higher risk of death from cancer and other causes compared with those having average levels of HDL cholesterol. That finding makes it seem as though low HDL cholesterol isn’t just predicting cardiovascular death — which might make sense if it is really causing heart disease — but it is also predicting cancer deaths and other causes of death. And there is not a good biological explanation for why a low HDL cholesterol level should do that. The...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - November 2, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH Tags: Health Heart Health Prevention Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
Many ways to lower cholesterol will reduce heart disease risk
Several contemporary clinical trials have shown that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients with coronary artery disease. This compelling body of evidence has led to the question of whether other drugs that lower cholesterol also reduce heart attacks. Older studies had certainly shown this, though these studies were from an era prior to widespread statin use. A recent study showed that in patients with a mild heart attack, adding ezetimibe — a drug that interferes with cholesterol absorption from the intestines — to a statin reduced cardiovascular risk compared with a statin alon...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - October 7, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH Tags: Health Heart Health Source Type: blogs
Stephen’s return from the medical quagmire
Stephen shared his 60-day Wheat Belly experience:
“Started Wheat Belly 60 days ago after a major health crisis. I found out I had type 2 diabetes 2 and very bad cholesterol. My numbers 60 days ago were: cholesterol 189, triglycerides 475, LDL could not be measured as it was so bad, HDL was 32. Two weeks ago: 20 pound weight loss, wearing a 15.5-inch neck size shirt compared to an 18. Triglycerides 79, LDL 25, HDL 40, cholesterol 81.
“I was first told on January 24, 2016 that my glucose level was 157. Forty five days later, my average glucose was 107 when measured by my diabetes counselor by downloading the data...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - April 7, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories cholesterol diabetes gluten grains HDL statins triglycerides Weight Loss Source Type: blogs
Is it time to reconsider the cholesterol hypothesis?
This post is purposely controversial. I write it because I believe that mounting evidence suggests that we should encourage “out of the box” thinking about this issue. This post is hypothesis challenging. I may be right or I may be wrong. I hope we get some debate on my speculations.
The latest blow to the cholesterol hypothesis – Dashing Hopes, Study Shows a Cholesterol Drug Had No Effect on Heart Health
“We had an agent that seemed to do all the right things,” said Dr. Stephen J. Nicholls, the study’s principal investigator and the deputy director of the South Australian Health and Medica...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - April 4, 2016 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
FDA Turns Down Expanded Indication For Zetia And Vytorin
The FDA has turned down Merck’s application to expand the indication for its cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe (Zetia and Vytorin, Merck). This means there’s still no end in sight for this drug’s very long and very winding road. Ezetimibe is now indicated to reduce LDL cholesterol in people with hyperlipidemia. The proposed new indication was for...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - February 16, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes ezetimibe FDA IMPROVE-IT vytorin Zetia Source Type: blogs
DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Mock Test 15
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Source: Cardiophile MD - February 9, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: Cardiology MCQ DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Featured Source Type: blogs
DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Mock Test 3
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Source: Cardiophile MD - January 17, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: General Cardiology Source Type: blogs
FDA Panel Turns Down Expanded Indication For Ezetimibe
An FDA advisory panel on Monday voted 10-5 against an expanded indication for Merck’s ezetimibe (Vytorin, Zetia). The current label states that the drugs have not been shown to improve cardiovascular morbidity or mortality. The proposed expanded indication was based on findings from the IMPROVE-IT trial. The panel spent most of the day trying to interpret...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 15, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics cholesterol ezetimibe vytorin Merck FDA advisory panel Zetia IMPROVE-IT Source Type: blogs
Live Blog: The FDA Advisory Panel On IMPROVE-IT
...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 14, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics vytorin FDA Merck FDA advisory panel Zetia IMPROVE-IT live blog Source Type: blogs
Expect Intellectual Fireworks At FDA Advisory Panel On Ezetimibe
You can expect a lot of high-powered intellectual fireworks at next Monday’s FDA advisory panel considering Merck’s application to upgrade the indications for Vytorin and Zetia. Both brands contain the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe, which was studied exhaustively– in many senses of the word– in the IMPROVE-IT trial. The discussion will likely focus on what to do about missing data and how to...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 10, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol ezetimibe FDA advisory panel IMPROVE-IT statins vytorin Zetia Source Type: blogs
No Increase In Diabetes Found With Ezetimibe In IMPROVE-IT
A new analysis of the IMPROVE-IT trial found no significant increase in the rate of new onset diabetes in patients taking ezetimibe. Michael Blazing of Duke University presented the results of the IMPROVE-IT substudy on Tuesday afternoon at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in London. The analysis was prompted by previous findings from very...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - September 1, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes cholesterol diabetes ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT Simvastatin Source Type: blogs
IMPROVE-IT Substudy: Ezetimibe Benefit Restricted To Diabetics
The beneficial effects of ezetimibe are found almost exclusively in patients with diabetes, according to an update of the influential IMPROVE-IT trial presented on Sunday at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in London. The new finding may lead to questions about the widely accepted interpretation of the main finding of the trial, which is that it provided strong support for...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - August 31, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes Uncategorized diabetes ezetimibe IMPROVE-IT LDL vytorin Source Type: blogs
PCSK9 inhibitor – Cardiology MCQ
The PCSK9 inhibitor which was recently approved by US FDA:
a) Evolocumab
b) Alirocumab
c) Infliximab
d) Abciximab
Correct answer: b) Alirocumab
Both evolocumab and alirocumab are PCSK9 inhibitors (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors) [1]. PCSK9 inhibitors have been approved by US FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) in those whom hypercholesterolemia is not controlled with diet and maximally tolerated statin treatment, if they have clinically manifest atherosclerotic disease like stroke or myocardial infarction [2]. Alirocumab can be given as a self administered subcutaneous injection once in tw...
Source: Cardiophile MD - July 31, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: Cardiology MCQ DM / DNB Cardiology Entrance Featured Alirocumab hypercholesterolemia proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors Source Type: blogs
The PCSK9 Drugs — Epic success or epic failure?
This week, an FDA advisory committee recommended approval for the potent cholesterol-lowering drugs, evolocumab and alirocumab. The funny-sounding medications are called PCSK-9 inhibitor drugs. (Keep reading; I’ll tell you more.)
Advisory committee members felt the benefits of the drugs outweighed the potential risks, especially in high-risk patients, such as those with Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH).
The FDA usually–but not always–follows the recommendation of the advisory committee. A final decision from FDA will come later this summer.
In reading this piece, keep in mind that the goal of cholestero...
Source: Dr John M - June 12, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John Source Type: blogs
In The Debate About Cost And Efficacy, PCSK9 Inhibitors May Be The Biggest Challenge Yet
The American health care system is far and away the most costly in the world. Health care reform is intended to lower costs, but they are still rising, albeit less steeply than in the past. Moderation is not however the case in the area of specialty pharmacy. The medications to treat Hepatitis C are the most cited examples of a general inflationary trend, but the pipeline of expensive medications is extensive.
Yet, policymakers and payers appear unwilling to undertake significant cost controls on medication pricing. Indeed the controversy over the $84,000 price tag for Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) has largely faded, suggesting a c...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - February 17, 2015 Category: Health Management Authors: William Shrank, Alan Lotvin, Surya Singh, and Troyen Brennan Tags: All Categories Consumers Cost Health Care Costs Health Care Delivery Pharma Spending Source Type: blogs
