Achieving LDL Cholesterol Goals in Statin-Resistant Patients
Statins have long been used as first-line therapy to lower LDL-C. However, some patients are unable or unwilling to take statin therapy.
Dr Ann Marie Navar, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, discusses alternative treatment options for these patients, including the oral medication ezetimibe, which is well tolerated and affordable; however, ezetimibe lowers LDL-C by only 15%-20%.
Dr Navar also discusses newer therapies, including the injectable monoclonal antibody PCSK9 inhibitors evolocumab and alirocumab. Both are dosed about every 2 weeks and have been shown to reduce LDL-C by more than 50% in clinical trials.
Another PCSK9 inhibitor is the first-in-class siRNA inclisiran, a long-acting therapy that is given every 6 months after an initial loading dose that is followed by a second dose at 3 months. Inclisiran is effective at lowering LDL-C, yet clinical data on its cardiovascular outcomes are not yet available.
The final option Dr Navar discusses is the oral therapy bempedoic acid, which is available as monotherapy or combined with ezetimibe as a single pill. The combination lowers LDL-C levels by 35%-40%. As monotherapy, says Dr Navar, bempedoic acid is slightly less effective.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TechCrunch
28 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Rocket Lab's first hurdle to flying its new rocket is getting it to the pad
Rocket Lab has asked regulators for permission to transport oversized Neutron rocket structures through shallow waters to a spaceport off the coast of Virginia as it races to meet a September delivery deadline. The request, which was made in July, is a temporary stop gap while the company awaits federal clearance to dredge a permanent channel to the Wallops Island site. Rocket Lab plans to launch its Neutron medium-lift rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia, a lower-traffic spaceport that's surrounded by shallow channels and waterways. The company currently launches its Electron small rocket from this location. Rocket Lab has a sizable checklist to tick-off before Neutron can make its orbital debut, like mating the rocket stages, performing a 'wet dress' rehearsal, and getting its launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Before any of that can happen, the rocket hardware needs to make it onto the island. Rocket Lab submitted an application for the dredging project to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in March. In its application, the company touted the benefits of MARS, noting other launch facilities in Florida and elsewhere are highly congested, which could limit launch cadence. MARS, in contrast, 'will allow both frequent launch cadence and the return-to-Earth capability of recovering boosters,' Rocket Lab said at the time. Despite that upside, MARS is constrained in a crucial way: existing maritime infrastructure is limited, and access to the channel – called Sloop Gut – depends on favorable tides. As Rocket Lab and its co-applicant, Virginia Port Authority, notes in its request, 'there is no permanent existing means of providing safe and reliable access for large infrastructure deliveries to Wallops Island.' (Electron is substantially smaller and delivered via road.) Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Rocket Lab has poured millions into the MARS site to ensure it's ready to support regular Neutron launches. The company is planning to spend more than $5 million to dredge the roughly mile-long Sloop Gut, so barges can perform regular deliveries of large Neutron rocket components. Rocket lab's plans to dredge sloop gut The dredging project was approved by VMRC in May, but the company has yet to start digging because it's still awaiting federal sign-off from the Army Corps of Engineers. As the company waits for federal approval, Rocket Lab and VPA are seeking permission to use a temporary method called 'kedging' to ensure the first five hardware deliveries can arrive on schedule starting in September. The company has said it plans to launch Neutron's maiden test mission in the second half of 2025. But the dredging application and Rocket Lab's separate kedging request suggest that it's not hardware delays, but maritime access that could be a bottleneck for the first launch. Kedging, a little-known nautical method, is used to ensure the barges can safely navigate the existing shallow channel. Workers would use a series of anchors and lines to steer the barge through the shallow waters. The company is seeking permission to use this method through the end of June 2026 or until the dredging work is complete, whichever comes first. It's unclear how long the dredging project will take. In the case that the kedging request is not approved in a timely manner, Rocket Lab said in its application that it would be able to transport structures over the beach using ramps and cranes. The company received permission for up to three beach barge landing test events – but these cannot take place between March 15 and August 31, so it is far from a long-term solution. In the dredging application, the company detailed several other alternative methods to get hardware on the island, like transporting it by road or public boat ramp. However, these methods were ultimately deemed infeasible for reasons such as cost, infrastructure limitations, and the weather. Rocket Lab did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. Both filings highlight the importance of maritime access for Rocket Lab's Virginia ambitions. The sooner the company can start dropping kedge anchors in time to receive the hardware shipments, the sooner it can start knocking off the rest of its pre-flight checklist.
CNET
28 minutes ago
- CNET
Lose Weight With Strength Training -- Here's How to Cut Fat by Lifting
Weight loss isn't easy, especially when you aren't sure exactly what kind of activity to do to get there. Although cardio is known to be the go-to for getting to that ideal body fat percentage, you can totally lose weight with strength training. It's easy to ignore strength training when you're focused on weight loss, but it's an excellent way to change your body composition, boost your metabolism and lose weight by burning fat. There are a ton of Reddit threads discussing whether aerobic exercise is the best for strength training or whether you should do strength training. There are varied opinions on this, but we know one thing for sure -- it is definitely possible to lose weight with strength training. You can actually use strength training to your advantage even if you're not a bodybuilder or don't spend hours at the gym. Strength training can help you build lean muscle, helping your body keep burning calories even when you're not working out. It's also not as heavy on the joints as high-impact cardio, which makes it a good place to start for all kinds of fitness levels. Whether you're just getting started with resistance exercise or aren't sure where to start, even two sessions a week can make for game-changing results in your fitness routine. Looking for more fitness tips? Check out how many calories you need to burn to lose weight, simple ways to shed body fat at home and how to achieve that elusive balance of losing weight while gaining lean muscle. Strength training can help you burn more versus strength training There's a constant back-and-forth argument about which is more efficient in reaching your ideal physique: cardio or strength training. According to New York City-based personal trainer Oscar Colon IV, cardio is ideal for burning more calories during a workout session -- and it's key to keeping your heart strong -- but strength training affects your body differently. "Strength training has a two-pronged effect because you burn calories during the workout and during the recovery and restoration of muscle groups you worked," he says. As a result, you get more results for your effort. It's still a good idea to incorporate cardio and strength training into a well-balanced fitness plan, so you can reap all the benefits. How much you do of one or the other may also depend on your current goals. If you're training for your first marathon, cardio will be your main focus as you build endurance, whereas strength training will be a priority when you're trying to get stronger or build muscle. Buillding muscle helps you burn calories even at rest. Getty Images How muscles affect your ability to burn fat As mentioned, strength training can help you burn more calories during and after your workout. This is thanks to the lean muscle you gain as a result of strength training. If your goal is to lose weight, having more lean muscle can help the process. This also means that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. Your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, refers to the total number of calories your body burns when it's at rest. Biologically speaking, resting metabolism aids your organ functions, neurological functions, breathing and blood circulation. Rachel MacPherson, an American Council of Exercise-certified personal trainer, performance specialist and Garage Gym Reviews expert, explains that muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even at rest. Although the effect is small, it's significant and does add up over time. "This also helps to counteract the decline of metabolism and muscle mass as you age, which can contribute to middle-age weight gain," she says. Strength training also has fat-burning benefits when you're fresh off a workout. "Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is the process of your body regulating itself back to homeostasis after a strenuous workout," Colon explains. In other words, you're still burning calories as you recover, because your body stays warm for a while as it cools down. Studies have shown that beginners tend to put on muscle faster than those experienced with strength training. Getty Images How long it takes to put on muscle Now that you know that lean muscle is the key component in fat burning, you're probably wondering how long it takes to build muscle. This will vary from person to person, as genetics, hormones, gender, diet and other factors play a role in how much muscle you put on and how quickly. "If you consistently train three to four times a week for 30 minutes each session, you should realistically start to see results in three to four weeks," Colon says. MacPherson says you can put on muscle mass each week, and doing a 12- to 16-week hypertrophy training program is ideal for seeing a significant amount of muscle gain. "You can expect upwards of five to 10 pounds of muscle gain during this time," she says, adding, "As you become more advanced you will need to work harder for less gain but you will still see results." That's another interesting aspect of strength training: If you're a beginner, you tend to have an advantage over someone more experienced when building muscle. This is what some people refer to as "newbie gains," which refers to your body's muscle-building response to lifting weights because it's not used to this kind of stimulus. Research has shown that untrained individuals (those with minimal to no strength training experience) can put on muscle faster than someone who's already experienced with strength training. Generally speaking, men and women also have different results when building muscle mass. "Men can build muscle mass much easier and faster than women due to testosterone, while women can still build substantial amounts of muscle but will never look as large or full as men unless they use anabolic steroids," says MacPherson. "It's vital that women lift enough volume and weight while also eating enough to support muscle gain." This means letting go of the old-school mentality of dieting and shrinking yourself, otherwise it'll inhibit your ability to build muscle. Besides a well-regimented workout plan, a diet that supports muscle-building is key too. "In order to build muscle, you need to eat in a calorie surplus with plenty of protein," MacPherson says. She explains that eating in a surplus will lead you to gain some body fat, which is normal and necessary to gain muscle. "You can lose it afterward and it will be easier since your body has become better at burning calories due to increased muscle mass." Strength training has excellent health benefits. Getty Images Other benefits to lifting weights Besides helping you metabolize and get stronger, strength training has other benefits. Colon says it's also important for bone development and density. "Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger," he says. Another benefit tied to strength training is reducing your risk of injury by improving the strength, range of motion and mobility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. "This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips and ankles to provide additional protection against injury," Colon says. Another plus is for your heart, because strength training is shown to help decrease blood pressure. You can also reduce the chances of type 2 diabetes, improve blood circulation and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise has been shown to even have a positive effect on your mental health and resistance training has been found to ease anxiety as well. Bottom line It's helpful to know the unique effects strength training has on your body as you establish a consistent exercise routine. Not only will you naturally burn more fat by having more muscle but you'll maintain strength as you age and improve other functions of your life as well. If you don't have access to a gym, you can start your exercise regimen at home and still get the same results, as long as you have the proper equipment. Even if your goal isn't weight loss or body recomposition, strength training provides many benefits that make it worth adding to your lifestyle, and it'll only improve your well-being in the long run.
CNET
28 minutes ago
- CNET
Fitness Enthusiasts Can Score the Ultrahuman Ring Air for $290 or Less, a Record Low
Many of us would like to stay on top of our health, and one way to keep track of your fitness, sleep and other important metrics is a wearable fitness tracker. But not all of us want a bulky smartwatch. That's where smart rings come in. Right now QVC has slashed the cost of the Ultrahuman Ring Air to just $290. That's a solid $59 savings on its list price and beats the price we saw during Prime Day this year. What's more -- if you're new to QVC, you can use coupon code HELLO30 for an additional $30 off, slashing the price to just $260. This smart ring is one of our favorite options for tracking sleep, stress, your heart rate and even caffeine intake. It's also water-resistant, compatible with both iOS and Android and, perhaps best of all, you do not need to pay for an additional subscription to use the Ultrahuman ring. The battery should last up to five days between charges, too. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. CNET expert Vanessa Hand Orellana wrote in her review that "the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a solid first smart ring for most people. It's not flawless, especially when it comes to workout tracking, but it's a great wellness companion that can help you improve or adopt healthier habits. The lack of a subscription alone makes it one of the most accessible smart rings out there." Plus, this deal is available in all five colors, so you can grab the one that best suits your style. Note that QVC will first ship a sizing kit, then you'll need to select the right size for you and your ring will ship separately after your confirmation. Why this deal matters It's rare to find deals on smart rings, and this particular offer knocks up to $90 off the original price. If you've been considering investing in a sleek wearable to help you on your wellness journey that isn't as heavy and chunky as a smartwatch, this is an exceptional deal. But be quick -- an offer this good won't last long.
