Cholesterol is a vital substance in our bodies. It helps with many important functions, such as building cells and producing hormones.
However, when cholesterol levels are too high, it can become dangerous. High cholesterol is linked to serious health problems like heart disease and strokes, two leading causes of death worldwide.
Our bodies rely on hormones to manage fats and proteins in the blood. Doctors often prescribe medications called statins to help control cholesterol levels.
Statins work by slowing down the liver’s production of cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol. LDL is often called “bad cholesterol” because it can build up in arteries, leading to blockages and heart problems.
While statins are effective for many people, they are not perfect. Some patients cannot tolerate them due to side effects such as muscle or joint pain.
For others, statins alone do not lower cholesterol enough to reduce health risks. This leaves a gap in treatment options for people with high cholesterol who cannot use statins effectively.
A new drug, called bempedoic acid, offers hope for these patients. Bempedoic acid works differently from statins but achieves a similar goal—lowering LDL cholesterol. It is especially useful for people who cannot take statins or need extra help to bring their cholesterol under control.
Recent studies presented at a major endocrinology conference (ENDO 2023) highlight the potential of bempedoic acid. Researchers conducted a large study, called the CLEAR Outcomes Trial, to test how well this drug works for people who cannot tolerate statins.
The results were promising. Patients who took bempedoic acid saw their LDL cholesterol levels drop by 21%. Even more importantly, their risk of major heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, decreased by 13%.
Further analysis showed that bempedoic acid is just as effective as statins in reducing the risk of heart disease. This is an important finding because it means that people who cannot use statins now have an alternative that works equally well to protect their health.
Dr. A. Michael Lincoff, a researcher involved in the study, emphasized how important these findings are. Heart disease continues to be a major health challenge around the world, and new treatment options like bempedoic acid can help address this growing problem.
For many patients, this drug represents a new path to better health and lower risks.
The success of bempedoic acid highlights the importance of ongoing research and innovation in medicine. Finding new ways to manage health problems like high cholesterol can save lives and improve quality of life for millions of people.
For those who cannot use statins or need extra help lowering their cholesterol, bempedoic acid provides an effective alternative and renewed hope.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about a big cause of heart failure, and common blood test could advance heart failure treatment.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about a new way to repair human heart, and results showing drinking coffee may help reduce heart failure risk.
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