New cholesterol drug offers hope for people who can’t take statins

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Cholesterol is a fatty substance that our bodies need for things like making hormones and building healthy cells. But when cholesterol levels get too high, it can lead to serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes.

Our bodies use hormones to help manage fats and proteins, but sometimes that isn’t enough. That’s why doctors often prescribe statins — medicines that lower how much cholesterol the liver makes.

Statins are especially good at lowering LDL cholesterol, which is often called the “bad” cholesterol. Too much LDL can clog blood vessels and cause heart disease.

Statins have helped many people, but they don’t work for everyone. Some people get side effects like muscle or joint pain and have to stop taking them. Others take statins but still have high LDL levels. This has created a need for other treatment options.

That’s where bempedoic acid comes in. It’s a newer medicine that can help people who can’t take statins or who need extra help lowering their cholesterol. Recent research shows that bempedoic acid is safe and works well. It lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart problems.

A big study called the CLEAR Outcomes Trial looked at people who couldn’t take statins. It found that bempedoic acid lowered LDL cholesterol by 21%. Even more important, it reduced the chance of serious heart problems like heart attacks and strokes by 13%. These numbers show that the medicine can make a real difference.

Researchers also said that the benefits of bempedoic acid were similar to those of statins. This is great news for people who have had a hard time managing their cholesterol. They now have another option.

Dr. A. Michael Lincoff, one of the lead researchers, said this is an important discovery. Heart disease is the number one cause of death around the world. Many people have high cholesterol, and having more choices means more people can get help and live healthier lives.

The success of bempedoic acid is a reminder of how important medical research is. It shows that scientists are making progress and finding better treatments all the time.

For people who have had trouble with cholesterol or can’t take statins, this new medicine offers hope. It may make it easier and safer to control cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. That’s good news for millions of people.

If you care about heart health, please read studies about top foods to love for a stronger heart, and why oranges may help fight obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

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