New Drug Zeros Down Heart Attack Risk by Destroying Bad Cholesterol

A newly developed drug has shown it can completely destroy bad cholesterol to slash risk of heart attacks in adults.

According to Daily Mail, the drug Alirocumab, attacks a protein PCSK9 which prevents liver from utilizing bad cholesterol (LDL) and subsequently its reduction in the blood. Given the way the drug works, researchers have nicknamed it Pac Man. Researchers showed that in about 40 percent of the study participants, cholesterol levels drastically reduced to newborn levels.

"Alirocumab, when used alongside a statin, will dramatically lower cholesterol. Around 40% of people who took it saw their levels reduce to that of a new-born. It is likely to reduce your risk of heart disease as it will lower LDL cholesterol; however, these are still adult bodies. The risk isn't going to be abolished. People are not going to be immortal," said researcher Professor Kausik Ray, according to The Telegraph.

The study involved 2,338 patients who either suffered a heart attack, stroke or were at a high cholesterol risk. Researchers gave 788 participants placebo while 1,550 were given a statin and Alirocumab.

In the larger group, a third of the participants saw their LDL drop to 0.7 mmol per liter in just a year, much lower than normal adult levels and closer to newborn levels.

The drug has been termed powerful as it manages to achieve its results in patients with just one shot every two weeks.

Researchers said that it can cut LDL levels by 50 percent in those who did not take statins which cannot be recommended for everyone, given their side effects.