Can't take statins? New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks

The development and study of new compounds offer many different advantages, even against diseases that already have effective treatment, as the article helpuflly explains there is always a segment of patients for whom the available drugs can't be used or don't have the desired effect, so having a wide repertoir that the doctors can choose from make a huge impact on the health of these patients.

The final point of the article is also very important, having a new alternative do not mean the primary choice of treatment has to change, for that a much better profile of safety, efficacy and ease to use is needed.

virusrex - did you have a point to make other than simply repeating the story?

People need drugs now in order to reduce cholesterol? By artificially “blocking some of the livers cholesterol production”…. What could go wrong? Sad how the “first-choice treatment” is via some drug, when for most simply tweaking your diet will achieve a natural and safe reduction to cholesterol without any drug side effects…. But yeah, there is no money to be made via the natural method….

People need drugs now in order to reduce cholesterol? By artificially “blocking some of the livers cholesterol production”…. What could go wrong? Sad how the “first-choice treatment” is via some drug, when for most simply tweaking your diet will achieve a natural and safe reduction to cholesterol without any drug side effects…. But yeah, there is no money to be made via the natural method….

exactly.

In poor physical shape due to poor diet and lack of exercise?

No problem! We've got the magic pill for you!

(just don't ask about the side-effects)

The problem with cholesterol is not so much whether it's too "high" or "low," but the balance of HDL and LD and and their degree of oxidation. And oxidation seems to be one of the key problems in building up plaque in arteries resulting from the oxidized cholesterol causing inflammation. The modern diet, with all its easily oxidized polyunsaturated oils and sugar-rich foods seems to be a major culprit here.

We cut out seed oils several years ago from home and keep a low-sugar diet. Now it's butter, olive oil and coconut oil for cooking and dressings, etc. And 6-monthly blood tests show my wife and I have got continually healthy levels of cholesterols and triglycerides. No need for pills.

And to add, more doctors really need to learn more about nutrition and emphasize this to their patients instead of push pills to relive symptoms instead of eliminating causes through healthy eating. Some doctors are good with this.

Some elevated cholesterol levels are not influenced much by healthier eating and activity.

Quite a number of people have a predisposition for high levels of "bad" cholesterol.

A healthy lifestyle is paramount however in all cases to maintain as good as possible functioning body.

Just some cholesterol levels stubbornly refuse to drop unless medication is taken - I know only too well.

Western society needs to get more healthy.

browny1Today  12:10 pm JST

Some elevated cholesterol levels are not influenced much by healthier eating and activity.

Quite a number of people have a predisposition for high levels of "bad" cholesterol.

A healthy lifestyle is paramount however in all cases to maintain as good as possible functioning body.

Just some cholesterol levels stubbornly refuse to drop unless medication is taken - I know only too well.

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by "bad" cholesterol. LDL? Or maybe oxidized LDL. Not pointing any fingers here, just interested.

did you have a point to make other than simply repeating the story?

Read the comment instead of just trying to baselessly criticize things when you don't like it, you may think other people must write according to your personal taste, that is not the case.

People need drugs now in order to reduce cholesterol?

Welcome to the age of modern medicine, where people that simply died young can now live much longer and productive lives thanks to many different kinds of medical interventions. Nobody "needs" to live longer healthier lives, but most people think this is a very good advantage to have thanks to medical science.

In poor physical shape due to poor diet and lack of exercise?

No problem! We've got the magic pill for you!

What part of the article give you this false idea? have you ever been in consultation with a doctor to see what kind of recommendations come first? because no, "magic pills" that replace lyfestyle changes as the first option are not what doctors recommend.

And to add, more doctors really need to learn more about nutrition and emphasize this to their patients instead of push pills to relive symptoms instead of eliminating causes through healthy eating.

Most doctors arleady do, pretending that changing completely the lifestyle of the patient is something simple and easy that can be done without fail for most people is not a realistic postion to take. Doctors always begin with treating the patients with modifications of their conduct, but for many patients this is not a solution that can be done reliably, specially for those that have well characterized predisposition to disregulation.

Algernon - thanks for your reply.

Of course in a perfect situation ALL cholesterol plays an important role in a healthy body esp cell function, hormones, liver etc.

But yes - as you queried - Bad Cholesterol or oxidized LDL is the prominent troublemaker.

The term Bad is used loosely to simply describe high levels (which is bad) of such LDL.

Some elevated cholesterol levels are not influenced much by healthier eating and activity.

Quite a number of people have a predisposition for high levels of "bad" cholesterol.

Maybe there’s something else at work like chronic inflammation which is causing the high level of cholesterol? An analogy can be made with firefighters going to a fire to put out a blaze. The bigger the fire the more firefighters are needed to fight it. Although important, healthier eating and activity might not be very effective by themselves if there is excessive toxicity in the body. Liver cleanses and other natural remedies can help the body return to homeostasis.

browny1 - Thanks, that makes sense, and matches up with things I've read.

In poor physical shape due to poor diet and lack of exercise?

No problem! We've got the magic pill for you!

Maybe that's how it works in your country (but I doubt it). The link below is from the UK's NHS. It clearly states that medication is only considered if other things such as a healthy diet, physical exercise, and stopping smoking don't reduce cholestorol.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/blood-and-lymph/high-cholesterol