- Researchers are touting a study that they say shows that the cardiovascular benefits of bempedoic acid are comparable to those obtained from statins.
- They say the findings indicate that bempedoic acid can be used as an alternative to statins for people who don’t tolerate those drugs well.
- Experts say more research is needed and, for now, statins should be considered as the first option for treating high cholesterol levels.
Researchers are reporting that they may be able to offer an alternative to statins to control cholesterol levels.
They are basing their conclusions on a study that concluded that bempedoic acid (Nexletol) reduces the risk of cardiac events as much as statins.
The research, which hasn’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal, was presented this week at the ENDO 2023 conference, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.
Researchers analyzed data from the CLEAR Outcomes trial, which included 13,970 people with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease who were intolerant to statins.
In that study, participants were given bempedoic acid for high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
Some of the findings from the CLEAR Outcomes trial included:
- LDL levels were reduced by an average of 21%.
- Cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, blocked blood vessels) were reduced by 13%.
The scientists say they expect these results to improve with continued use.
“It is important to note that this is not a study per se,” said Dr. Yu-Ming Ni, a cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in California.
“The researchers used data from the CLEAR Outcomes trial and pulled the data on bempedoic acid rather than statins,” Ni explained to Medical News Today. “The CLEAR Outcomes trial also compiled several studies that agreed to share their results. The current information is important and helpful but was not a controlled study.”
The researchers compared bempedoic acid to placebo use. It isn’t…
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