If you need to lower your cholesterol but cannot take a statin because of muscle aches or other side effects, you may want to try an alternative. New research shows that bempedoic acid can lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke without causing muscle pain.
PRALUENT is not a statin. Statins help lower the production of bad cholesterol. PRALUENT works by blocking a protein (called PCSK9) that contributes to high levels of bad cholesterol. Adding PRALUENT helps increase your liver's ability to clear bad cholesterol from your bloodstream.
LEQVIO is the only cholesterol-lowering medication that's given by your doctor or other health care provider every 6 months after 2 initial doses. With LEQVIO, lowering bad cholesterol can fit into your twice-yearly doctor visits.
Leqvio works to reduce circulating levels of LDL-C, commonly known as “bad cholesterol.” Leqvio is approved at a 284 mg dose administered as an initial under-the skin injection, a second dose at three months, and continued treatment once every six months after that point.
If you've made lifestyle changes through diet and exercise that have lowered your cholesterol levels, you may not need to continue taking a statin. These changes can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries while allowing you to take one less medication.
Some people do not tolerate statins or may want to try natural remedies to treat their high cholesterol. Statin alternatives include some prescription medications like ezetimibe and fibric acids. Natural remedies that some people use to help treat high cholesterol include omega-3 fatty acids and red yeast rice extract.
By Lauran Neergaard • Published March 6, 2023
shows the cholesterol-lowering drug Nexletol made by Esperion Therapeutics Inc. Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can't or won't take those pills because of side effects may have another option.
Patients who refuse to take statins may be concerned about cost. They may be unaware that the most potent statins, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, as well as many others, are generic medications that cost as little as $4 to $10 per month even without prescription insurance, says Milks.
PCSK9 inhibitors have been approved in the USA and Europe for patients who are statin intolerant. Studies have shown LDL-C reductions > 50% for alirocumab and evolocumab, and cardiovascular benefit has been demonstrated for both agents.
Clinical Perspective
Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.
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.
Joseph A. Hill, M.D., Ph. D. The controversy in the United Kingdom started in 2013 when the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed statins were being overprescribed to people with low risk of heart disease, and that the drugs' side effects were worse than previously thought.
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.
You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level. If you forget to take your dose, do not take an extra one to make up for it.
People can naturally lower their cholesterol levels by adopting dietary and lifestyle changes. This can include changing the types of fats they eat, consuming soluble fiber, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, maintaining healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake, and getting enough good-quality sleep.
If you eat healthily you won't need statins
Some people may be able to reduce their cholesterol to safe levels by changing their diet, or exercising more. However others will need a statin alongside a healthy lifestyle.
The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association developed some prescription guidelines. Typically, if a person's LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is 190 or higher, they're often advised to start a statin.
If you quit cold turkey, your body can go into shock. It is not recommended that you stop statins suddenly if you have a history of heart attack or stroke, as it can put you at a higher risk of recurrent heart attack. You should speak with your doctor before stopping the medicine under any circumstance.
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.
Inclisiran is specifically for people whose cholesterol is not adequately controlled with first line medications such as statins, ezetimibe, or ezetimibe with bempedoic acid (in those who are statin intolerant).
Statins. 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.