![]() The drug comes as an injection, which patients administer every two weeks. People at risk of heart disease or high blood pressure should aim for a cholesterol of 2mmol per litre of blood or lower. I n the UK, doctors say bad cholesterol levels should be 3mmol per litre of blood or lower for healthy adults. 'It is the biggest reduction we've had since statins were introduced,' he said. This is the same level as a baby, Professor Ray said. More than a third of the people given Alirocumab saw their bad cholesterol levels fall to less than 0.7mmol per litre of blood within a year. Of these 1, 550 were given Alirocumab and a statin, and 788 were given a placebo. It has also emerged that six of the 12 experts drawing up the guidelines have financial ties to drugs firms who make statins or similar pills.ĭoctors already warn that other side effects also include inflammation of the liver, sore throat, constipation and diarrhoea, nosebleeds and tingling in the hands and feet.Ī total of 2,338 patients who were at risk of high cholesterol or of suffering a heart attack or stroke took part in the study. They point out that very little research has been carried out into these risks and how many patients are affected. The advice means 17.5 million adults, including most men aged over 60 and women over 65, are now eligible to take the tablets, which cost less than 10p a day.īut leading GPs, cardiologists and academics are concerned that not enough is known about side effects which include memory problems, dizziness, type 2 diabetes and muscular pain. In July, NICE urged GPs to offer statins to anyone with a 10 per cent risk of developing heart disease within a decade. This prevents the arteries becoming clogged with fatty deposits, which could lead to heart attacks and stroke in the long run. LDL cholesterol is often referred to as bad cholesterol', and statins stop it being produced inside the liver. Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. 'Alirocumab, when used alongside a statin, will dramatically lower cholesterol,' lead researcher Professor Kausik Ray, of St George's Hospital, London, told MailOnline. The global study of nearly 2,400 people showed more than a third of people given Alirocumab saw their level of fats fall to those seen in a baby. Statins don't work for some people, and others experience a host of common side effects including feeling sick, constipation and diarrhoea, muscle and joint pain, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In people unable to tolerate statins, Alirocumab halved bad cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of these killer diseases. It can be used in people who are taking statins but need an extra 'boost' or as an alternative to statins in those who cannot tolerate them.Ī study found it all but eliminated dangerous blood fats called lipoprotein (LDL) – known as 'bad' cholesterol – in almost a third of people already taking statins. The 'powerful' drug could drastically reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke, researchers claim The new drug, called Alirocumab, slashes 'bad' cholesterol levels to those seen in a newborn baby.
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