Chasing Life

Statins are the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs that help lower “bad” or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood.

 

Although they’re considered the gold standard, research has found that between 7% and 29% of people who need to lower their cholesterol can’t tolerate statins because of side effects such as intense muscle pain.

 

But there’s good news for those who can’t or won’t take statins. A new study of nearly 14,000 people followed for nearly five years found that bempedoic acid was well-tolerated and reduced bad cholesterol almost 22% when compared with a placebo.

 

The risk of cardiovascular events – including death, stroke, heart attack and coronary revascularization, a procedure or surgery to improve blood flow to the heart – was 13% lower in the bempedoic acid group than in the placebo group over a median of 3.4 years.

 

The drug was approved specifically to treat statin-intolerant people in 2020.  But the effects on heart health had not been fully assessed until this trial. The new study was funded in part by Esperion Therapeutics, which makes and markets bempedoic acid under the name Nexletol.

 

The drug works in a similar way to statins, by drawing cholesterol out of a waxy substance called plaque that can build up in the walls of the arteries and interfere with blood flow to the heart. If there is too much plaque buildup, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

 

But unlike a statin, bempedoic acid is activated in the liver, making it unlikely to cause muscle aches.

 

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the world. One person dies every 34 seconds in the US from cardiovascular disease, according to the CDC. About 697,000 people in the US died from heart disease in 2020 alone – about the same number as the population of Oklahoma City.

 

But we don’t have to let heart disease take so many lives. A healthy lifestyle of eating well, not smoking and getting exercise can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars. If needed, a statin or bempedoic acid can aid as well.

 

We have the tools to prevent heart disease. Let’s focus on staying healthy and chasing life.