Are you tired of dealing with statin side effects? Well, have you heard the exciting news about bempedoic acid? Say goodbye to those nasty side effects and hello to a potential new solution for managing your cholesterol levels. Bempedoic acid has just been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and has proven to be a promising treatment option for patients who are “statin-intolerant.” Statin intolerance is a common problem for patients with hypercholesterolemia. That means those who couldn’t take traditional cholesterol-lowering drugs due to their unwanted side effects.
This groundbreaking study on bempedoic acid was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial design to ensure accurate and unbiased results. Over 13,000 patients were randomly assigned to receive either 180 mg of bempedoic acid per day or a placebo. The primary focus of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of bempedoic acid in decreasing the incidence of significant adverse cardiovascular events. These events were characterized as death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or coronary revascularization.
After tracking patients for a median period of 40.6 months, the study revealed exciting results. Bempedoic acid lowered the occurrence of primary end-point events by a significant margin compared to the placebo group (11.7% vs. 13.3%). Moreover, the study showed that bempedoic acid had a statistically significant decrease in the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal stroke, or nonfatal myocardial infarction (8.2% vs. 9.5%) compared to the placebo group.
This indicates that the drug may be an effective option for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients who are unable to tolerate statins. Interestingly, bempedoic acid also exhibited a lower incidence of fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization. Nonetheless, the drug did not have any significant effect on fatal or nonfatal stroke, death from cardiovascular causes, and death from any cause.
The results of the study displayed that bempedoic acid had certain side effects, such as an increased incidence of gout and cholelithiasis, along with slight elevations in serum creatinine, uric acid, and hepatic enzyme levels. Despite the study indicating that bempedoic acid may be an effective treatment option for patients who cannot tolerate statins and wish to lower their risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, healthcare providers should consider its possible side effects prior to prescribing it.
It’s worth mentioning that while the study produced remarkable results, it’s equally important to take note of the possible side effects. The drug has the potential to heighten the likelihood of gout and cholelithiasis, as well as produce minor elevations in some biochemical markers.
Nevertheless, bempedoic acid may be a beneficial alternative for individuals who are intolerant to statins and want to lower their risk of serious cardiovascular events. Consequently, healthcare providers must weigh the potential advantages and disadvantages of the medication before deciding whether or not to prescribe it.
