Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that every cell in the body needs to function properly. It helps produce hormones, vitamin D, and substances that digest food.
However, having too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often called “bad” cholesterol, can cause fatty deposits to build up inside arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Doctors usually recommend healthy eating, regular exercise, weight management, and medicines to lower cholesterol when lifestyle changes alone are not enough. The most commonly prescribed medicines are statins, which reduce the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. Statins have saved millions of lives, but they are not suitable for everyone.
Some people develop muscle aches, joint pain, or other side effects while taking statins. Others cannot lower their LDL cholesterol enough even with treatment. Because of these challenges, researchers have been searching for additional medicines that can safely reduce cholesterol and protect the heart.
A newer medicine called bempedoic acid is emerging as a promising option. Researchers recently presented new findings about the drug at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago. The results suggest that bempedoic acid not only lowers LDL cholesterol but also reduces the risk of major cardiovascular problems.
The evidence comes from the CLEAR Outcomes Trial, which included patients who could not tolerate statins or had difficulty using them. The study was funded by Esperion Therapeutics, the company that developed bempedoic acid. Researchers found that the medicine lowered LDL cholesterol by about 21% on average.
Lower cholesterol is important because it helps slow the buildup of plaque inside arteries. As arteries remain more open, blood can flow more easily to the heart and brain. This lowers the chances of serious events such as heart attacks and strokes.
The trial also found that people taking bempedoic acid experienced a 13% reduction in major cardiovascular events compared with those who did not receive the treatment. Researchers then compared these results with previous studies of statins. They found that when LDL cholesterol was lowered by a similar amount, bempedoic acid appeared to provide a similar reduction in cardiovascular risk.
Lead researcher Dr. A. Michael Lincoff of the Cleveland Clinic said these findings are especially important for patients who cannot take statins because of side effects or who need additional help lowering cholesterol. Having another effective treatment gives doctors more flexibility to tailor care to each patient’s needs.
Although the results are encouraging, bempedoic acid may not replace statins for everyone. Statins remain the first-choice treatment for most people because they have been studied for decades and have a strong record of preventing heart disease. Instead, bempedoic acid may become an important alternative or an additional medicine for selected patients.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, making better cholesterol treatments an important goal for medical research. The growing evidence for bempedoic acid offers new hope to people with limited treatment options and highlights how continued research can improve heart health and help people live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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