Cholesterol is a natural substance that every person needs to stay healthy. It helps the body build cells, make hormones, and carry out many important jobs.
Even though cholesterol is necessary, having too much of the wrong kind can become dangerous over time.
LDL cholesterol, often called “bad” cholesterol, can slowly build up inside blood vessels. As this buildup grows, the blood vessels become narrower and blood cannot flow as easily.
This increases the chance of serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes, which remain among the leading causes of death around the world.
Doctors usually recommend healthy eating, regular exercise, and weight control to improve cholesterol levels. Many people also need medicines because lifestyle changes alone may not lower cholesterol enough. The most common medicines are statins, which reduce the amount of cholesterol made by the liver.
Statins have helped millions of people lower their LDL cholesterol and reduce their risk of heart disease. However, they are not the right choice for everyone. Some people develop muscle pain or joint pain, while others cannot take high enough doses or do not get enough benefit from the medicine.
A newer medicine called bempedoic acid is now giving hope to people who need another option. Unlike statins, it works in a different way to reduce the body’s production of cholesterol.
Researchers wanted to know whether this medicine could not only lower LDL cholesterol but also protect people from future heart problems. To answer this question, scientists carried out a large clinical study known as the CLEAR Outcomes Trial.
The findings were presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2023 meeting in Chicago. The researchers found that people taking bempedoic acid lowered their LDL cholesterol by about 21% on average.
They also reduced their risk of heart attack, stroke, and other major heart-related events by around 13%. These results were especially important because all of the participants were unable to tolerate statin treatment.
Scientists also compared the heart benefits of bempedoic acid with what has been seen in statin studies. Their analysis showed that lowering LDL cholesterol with bempedoic acid appeared to provide a similar level of protection against heart disease as lowering LDL cholesterol with statins.
This suggests that reducing LDL cholesterol remains one of the most effective ways to protect the heart, even when different medicines are used.
Dr. A. Michael Lincoff from the Cleveland Clinic, one of the researchers involved in the study, said these findings are important because heart disease continues to affect millions of people worldwide. Having another effective treatment gives doctors more flexibility when caring for patients who cannot take statins or who need additional help controlling their cholesterol levels.
The study also highlights a broader lesson in heart health. Not every medicine that improves a health measurement also lowers the risk of heart disease.
Some drugs can successfully treat one problem without improving long-term heart outcomes. In contrast, this research suggests that bempedoic acid not only lowers LDL cholesterol but also helps reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
Although more research will continue to improve cholesterol treatment, these findings represent an important step forward.
People who have struggled with statin side effects may now have another proven option to discuss with their healthcare provider.
As scientists continue to develop better treatments, more people may be able to prevent heart attacks and strokes and enjoy longer, healthier lives. The research was presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2023 meeting in Chicago.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how vitamin D influences cholesterol levels, and what we know about egg intake and heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies about best supplements for heart disease prevention, and wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
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