2023-09-01 11:00:06
A new drug has just been identified as being effective in combating lipoprotein (a), the form of cholesterol responsible for many cardiovascular diseases.
Image d’illustration Pixabay
Lipoprotein (a), known as Lp(a), is an abnormal form of LDL cholesterol (called the “bad cholesterol”). Because it is more sticky than LDL, it significantly increases the risk of obstructions and blood clots in the arteries, and therefore the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack (A heart attack is defined by sudden death and cell mass (necrosis…) or cerebrovascular accident (A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), sometimes called a “stroke…) (CVA), which represent the main cause of death in the world (The word world may refer to:) These risks are in addition to the risks already incurred due to bad cholesterol such as obesity (Obesity is the condition of a person, or an animal, suffering from …) and diabetes (Diabetes has several forms, all of which have abundant urine in common…) in particular. Half-proteins, half-lipids, these lipoproteins affect one in five people in the world, and to this day , no effective treatment had yet been found, because the drugs usually used to reduce LDL do not prove effective on Lp(a). Moreover, diets and physical exercises have little impact on the latter. Researchers from Monash University (Monash University is the largest university…) and Monash Health’s Victorian Heart Hospital, however, have just developed a drug (A drug is a substance or composition presented as possessing…), named Muvalaplin, able to target it and reduce its level by up to 65%.
The first pharmaceutical trials carried out are encouraging. With 114 volunteers, different experiments were carried out. Among these experiments, a test was performed on a group of 59 people who already had higher than normal Lp(a) levels: some patients received doses ranging from 30 to 800mg of Muvalaplin while others received a placebo. Within just 24 hours, Lp(a) levels fell in patients who received Muvalaplin, with the rate of decrease depending on the dose administered, and as much as 65% for some patients.
It should be noted that the reduced level of Lp(a) could be observed for up to 50 days after taking the last drug. This drug was well tolerated by patients and showed no impact on the level of other fats. The undesirable effects observed (fatigue, nausea, headaches or backaches, diarrhoea) were minor and not lasting.
Being able to administer this treatment orally facilitates its accessibility to the patients concerned. Further studies will be needed to determine its overall effectiveness. A second clinical trial is therefore underway, on a much larger population.
1693571778
#treatment #greatly #reduce #cholesterol #risk #heart #disease