Can Evolocumab Prevent First Heart Attack: Heart diseases still remain the biggest cause of death worldwide. Often people start treatment when the condition has become serious, such as blockage in the arteries or after a heart attack. But now new research is indicating that if treatment is started earlier and more effectively, then these dangers can be prevented in advance.
Heart related problems can be reduced
A new study from Massachusetts General Brigham, USA, published in JAMA and presented at the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology, showed that a drug called evolocumab can significantly reduce the risk of a first major heart event in high-risk diabetes patients. Even if there are no clear signs of artery disease yet.
Why does the risk increase?
Our heart depends on clean and open blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the body. But with time, a substance called plaque starts accumulating in the walls of the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. When this congestion increases, blood flow can stop and the risk of heart attack or stroke increases. A major reason behind this process is LDL i.e. bad cholesterol. For a long time, doctors have been using statin drugs to reduce it. Although these drugs are effective, they do not always achieve sufficient reduction in high-risk patients.
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new options come
This is where new options like evolocumab emerge. It is a PCSK9 inhibitor drug, which works differently from statins and can reduce LDL cholesterol by about 60 percent. Till now it was mainly used in those patients who already had heart disease. In this study, it was tested whether this medicine can prevent heart problems if used early, i.e. before the disease becomes serious. For this, 3,655 high-risk diabetes patients were included, who had conditions such as long-standing diabetes, insulin dependence or damage in small blood vessels, but did not have obvious signs of atherosclerosis.
After about a year, the results came out that LDL cholesterol was reduced by about 51 percent in those taking evolocumab. But the real effect was seen in the long run. A follow-up of about five years found that those using this drug for the first time had a 31 percent lower risk of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death.
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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.
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