Cholesterol is a natural substance that our bodies need. It helps build cells and make hormones.
But having too much of it, especially a kind called LDL or “bad cholesterol,” can be harmful. When LDL builds up in the walls of blood vessels, it increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Our bodies use hormones to control how fats and proteins move around. If this balance is lost, cholesterol levels can rise too high and become dangerous.
For many years, doctors have used a type of medicine called statins to treat high cholesterol. Statins work by helping the liver make less cholesterol.
This lowers LDL levels and helps protect the heart. Statins have saved many lives, but they do not work for everyone. Some people get side effects like sore muscles and joints. Others still have high cholesterol even when using statins.
Now, there is a new option. A drug called bempedoic acid may help people who can’t take statins or need more help lowering their cholesterol.
In a recent study supported by Esperion Therapeutics, the company that makes the drug, researchers found promising results. The study is called the CLEAR Outcomes Trial and was shared at a major medical meeting in Chicago in 2023.
The study looked at people who could not take statins. It showed that bempedoic acid lowered bad cholesterol by about 21%. It also lowered the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 13%. These numbers show that bempedoic acid works well, especially for people who don’t have many other choices.
Even more, the researchers found that bempedoic acid gave heart benefits similar to those of statins. This is important because it means there may now be another safe way to protect the heart. And unlike some diabetes drugs, which don’t always help the heart even when they lower blood sugar, this new cholesterol drug does both.
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death around the world. That’s why finding new treatments is so important. Dr. A. Michael Lincoff, one of the doctors who worked on the study, said bempedoic acid could be a good choice for people who cannot take statins or need more help.
This new drug shows that we can still find new ways to fight heart disease. Bempedoic acid may help millions of people live longer and healthier lives by giving them another option to lower their cholesterol and protect their hearts.
As science moves forward, treatments like bempedoic acid bring hope. They show how research can lead to better health and save lives. With more choices and better tools, we can take better care of our hearts and build a healthier future for everyone.
If you care about health, please read studies about the benefits of low-dose lithium supplements, and what we know about egg intake and heart disease.
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