People who can't or won't take statin medications to reduce LDL cholesterol may want to talk to their doctor about bempedoic acid (Nexletol).
Bempedoic Acid: A Statin Alternative to Reduce Cholesterol
Statins reduce heart attacks and strokes, which is why they're first-line therapy, but those side effects can be a problem for people. Bempedoic acid is sold under the brand name Nexletol on its own and as a combination drug with ezetimibe called Nexlizet.
By Lauran Neergaard • Published March 6, 2023
In a major study, a different kind of cholesterol-lowering drug named Nexletol reduced the risk of heart attacks and some other cardiovascular problems in people who can't tolerate statins, researchers reported Saturday.
Statins are one of the better-known types of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Providers choose these for the majority of people because they work well. Statins decrease cholesterol output by blocking the HMG CoA reductase enzyme that the liver uses to make cholesterol.
It's thought that simvastatin (Zocor) may be more likely to cause muscle pain as a side effect than other statins when it's taken at high doses. Change your dose. Lowering your dose may reduce some of your side effects, but it may also reduce some of the cholesterol-lowering benefits your medicine has.
Rarely, statins may cause bad side effects, including confusion, memory loss, damage to your livers or high blood sugar. The new bempedoic acid drug – currently called Nexletol – is being developed by US-based Esperion Therapeutics and will go to the Therapeutics Goods Administration for approval for use in Australia.
It's important to know that stopping statins cold turkey, or even gradually, can cause serious health problems and you should talk to your doctor before doing so.
High cholesterol levels are considered: too high: between 5 and 6.4mmol/l. very high: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l. extremely high: above 7.8mmol/l.
Drugs like Repatha lower cholesterol by dramatic amounts — but that hasn't yet translated into cutting people's risk of death. So far, there are two PCSK9 inhibitors on the market: Amgen's evolocumab (a.k.a. Repatha) and alirocumab (brand name Praluent), which is produced by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Statins are usually the first type of medication that's recommended. But if a statin alone isn't an option, other medications and supplements are also available. Ezetimibe, fibrates like gemfibrozil, and bile acid sequestrants like cholestyramine are top examples.
Statin use has been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes because the medication can fuel mild glucose elevations in predisposed individuals — an effect that can often be countervailed by exercise and losing as little as a few pounds.
Ezetimibe. Ezetimibe is a tablet that lowers cholesterol. It may be prescribed if statins cannot be taken, or alongside a statin for extra cholesterol-lowering. It's a 'cholesterol absorption inhibitor' that limits the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.
Statins can stabilize cholesterol plaque already attached to artery walls, making it less likely to get worse or rupture, causing a heart attack or stroke. "Statins also help remove cholesterol from you blood by causing the liver to express more LDL cholesterol receptors that take cholesterol out of your blood," Dr.
If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.
Missing your cholesterol medications may not be the right thing to do according to Dr Shah. Missing one or two doses won t be a problem. But anything more than that would be wrong, says Dr Shah. There will be something called a rebound effect in the person s body, he adds.
Statins are the most effective type of cholesterol-lowering medicine available. There are several different types of statins, including: atorvastatin. rosuvastatin.
1,2 Evolocumab is a PCSK9 inhibitor which has been approved for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia including familial hypercholesterolaemia. The drug is a monoclonal antibody that binds to PCSK9. It has to be given by subcutaneous injection and it can be injected every two weeks or once a month.
Of all statins, simvastatin and atorvastatin are responsible for most reported incidents of liver damage, but this is likely just due to the fact that they are prescribed the most. The Spanish Hepatotoxicity Registry identified 858 cases of drug-induce liver injury.
The Heart Protection Study included more than 20,000 people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes, who received simvastatin 40 mg daily versus placebo [6]. The risk of cardiovascular events was reduced by 18% in subjects aged 70 to 80 years treated with simvastatin and by 24% in those aged less than 65 years [6].
Statin use is associated with increased calorie intake and consequent weight gain. It is speculated that statin‐dependent improvements in lipid profile may undermine the perceived need to follow lipid‐lowering and other dietary recommendations leading consequently to increased calorie intake.