An alternative to statins for lowering cholesterol

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For those who can't take statins, there's hope By Alice Park Senior Health Correspondent When it comes to lowering cholesterol, sometimes diet and exercise aren’t enough. Any heart doctor will tell you that statins are their go-to medication for treating stubbornly high cholesterol levels, and for reducing the risk of having a heart attack or other heart event. But up to 30% of people can’t tolerate the side effects like muscle pain—so they either take less-than-optimal doses, or refuse to take the pills at all. For these patients, there's “huge unmet need” for a safe and effective treatment, says Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic. Nissen spearheaded a new study looking at a drug called bempedoic acid, which could be the alternative that this population has been missing. While it’s already approved for lowering LDL cholesterol, the research found it can also reduce the risk of heart events, a benefit that many doctors had been waiting to see before prescribing the medication. Here’s what the study found: Bempedoic acid lowers LDL cholesterol by 21%. The drug reduces the risk of an aggregated measure of heart events, including heart attack and dying of heart disease, by 13%. It is not associated with the same muscle issues that statins can cause, but it can raise levels of uric acid, so doctors should monitor people with gout who take the drug.   READ MORE   Share the story

What else to read Current Food Consumption Habits May Add Nearly 1 Degree of Warming by 2100 By DREW COSTLEY / AP A new study found the majority of emissions come from three major sources: meat from animals like cows, sheep, and goats; dairy; and rice. Read More » Column: The Beauty of What Happens When Nothing Happens By Jenny Odell Jenny Odell explores the wonder of life's most ordinary moments. Read More » What to Know About Diabetes and the Risk of Silent Heart Attacks By Markham Heid Silent heart attacks, which are more common in people with diabetes, don't cause typical or obvious symptoms. Read More » Is Seaweed Healthy? Here’s What Experts Say By Jamie Ducharme Certain types may be contaminated. (Originally published in 2019.) Read More » Tuning in to Your Most-Ignored Sense Can Make You Happier By Haley Weiss Want to feel happier? Curating your soundscape may benefit your physical and mental health. Read More »

ONE LAST READ The fast-changing world of obesity treatments As more people turn to the obesity drug semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) to lose weight fast, the medical community is concerned that innovations for obesity—a chronic disease with serious health consequences—are being co-opted by the more sales-focused weight-loss market. In the first of a new series for STAT, Elaine Chen and Matthew Herper highlight the tension points and worrying intrusion of marketing and financial priorities in what should be the treatment of a medical condition. Read More »

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