News

Lipoprotein apheresis halves PCSK9 levels

Lipoprotein apheresis is an option for the management of patients with severe hypercholesterolaemia, including those with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH, inherited high cholesterol), who are inadequately controlled with current pharmacotherapy. In this cohort study, serum PCSK9 levels were measured in 40 patients undergoing lipoprotein apheresis and…

Phytosterols do not influence PCSK9 levels

Foods with added plant sterols/stanols (commonly referred to as phytosterols) lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by between 8-10% when taken at 2 g/day. Consequently clinical guidelines and expert consensus suggest that these functional food may have a role in managing LDL cholesterol across the…

Type 2 diabetes: No change in PCSK9 levels with ezetimibe

There has been concern that concomitant treatment with other agents that lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol may blunt the effects of treatment with a PCSK9 inhibitor due to upregulation of PCSK9 expression. However, a recent report1 has shown that this is not the case for…

EAS HoFH Consensus Statement: Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis and Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Foundation responds

The recent European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel Statement on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) has been welcomed by the Spanish Society of Atherosclerosis (SEA) and Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Foundation (FHF). However, recognising that there are local issues, the SEA and FHF has produced a document specific for Spain….

FH in Argentina: Why the European Atherosclerosis Society FH Studies Collaboration (EAS-FHSC) is key

PCSK9 Forum caught up with Dr Pablo Corral, ICM Institute Medical Clinic, Buenos Aires, Argentina during the 83rd European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Glasgow, Scotland. The status of FH management in Argentina has improved over the last 2 years. There has been a new…

Statin Associated Muscle Symptoms – a role for PCSK9 inhibitors? Professor Erik Stroes, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands comments

The latest European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel focused on statin associated muscle symptoms (SAMS),1 which at present accounts for up to 40% of referrals to specialised lipid clinics. The veracity of SAMS has been questioned given the apparent discrepancy between findings from clinical trials and…

EAS 2015: Climbing stairs at work lowers PCSK9

Regular physical activity is recommended as one of the key lifestyle strategies underpinning cardiovascular disease prevention. Much of the benefit has been ascribed to lowering of triglycerides and raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. While studies vary, there is also some evidence to suggest benefit of…

EAS 2015: PCSK9 inhibitors effective with high-intensity statins

High-intensity statins are indicated in patients with or at high risk of cardiovascular disease. However, even with maximally tolerated doses, the majority fail to achieve guideline-recommended low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goal. Recent data from EUROASPIRE IV, a survey of secondary prevention care across Europe, show…

European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel on statin-associated muscle symptoms: Professor Erik Stroes, Academic Medical Center, the Netherlands

PCSK9 Forum caught up with Professor Stroes at the 83rd Congress of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), Glasgow 22-25 March, 2015 to discuss this recent EAS Consensus Panel paper. Statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) were very much the hot topic at EAS Glasgow, reflecting the high…

Statins and muscle symptoms: New EAS Consensus Panel statement

The European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Consensus Panel has published new guidance on the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Unique to this statement is an overview of current understanding of the pathophysiology of statin myopathy. Without doubt, statins are the therapeutic cornerstone…

EAS Glasgow: Familial hypercholesterolaemia: A Call to Action from the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS)

Worldwide less than 1% of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) – inherited high cholesterol – are diagnosed and only a minority are optimally treated.1 This is despite recent research showing that FH is not rare but among the most common of autosomal dominant inherited conditions;…

ACC 2015 More safety data with PCSK9 inhibitors: patients with very low LDL-C

Accumulating data with both alirocumab and evolocumab have so far not indicated specific safety issues. In the latest reports at ACC 2015, there were no safety signals in more than 5,000 patients who achieved very low low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels (<25 or <15 mg/dL)…

ACC 2015 Do the evolocumab 2-weekly and monthly regimens provide equivalent LDL-C lowering?

One of the questions clinicians often raise if whether the two dose regimens for evolocumab produce similar low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol lowering. This study answers this question showing clinical equivalence for changes in lipid parameters, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a). Data…

ACC 2015 Evolocumab effective in elderly patients; no safety issues

Treatment with the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab was effective in elderly patients (³65 years and ³75 years) with a side effect profile similar to placebo, according to the results of pooled analysis of nearly 2,000 patients from Phase 2, 3 and open-label studies.  These findings specifically…

ACC 2015 ODYSSEY CHOICE: Flexibility in alirocumab dosing

Results from the ODYSSEY CHOICE studies indicate flexibility in dosing with alirocumab, with  4-weekly  regimens shown to be effective and well tolerated, according to Dr Michel Farnier, Point Medical, Dijon, France. Many patients at moderate to high cardiovascular (CV) risk and with poorly controlled hypercholesterolaemia…

ACC 2015: CASCADE FH: Unmet needs in education and care of familial hypercholesterolaemia

Baseline data from the CASCADE-FH Registry, presented at ACC 2015, highlight gaps in the care of patients with inherited high cholesterol – familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). Only about 50% of patients understood the risks of their condition. Treatment was also suboptimal in nearly one-half of patients…

Statins and muscle symptoms: New EAS Consensus Panel statement

The European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Consensus Panel has published new guidance on the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Unique to this statement is an overview of current understanding of the pathophysiology of statin myopathy. Without doubt, statins are the therapeutic cornerstone…

ACC 2015: What do the OSLER and ODYSSEY data really show? Expert analysis from Professor Derick Raal

March 15, 2015 At an eagerly anticipated hotline at ACC 2015, a pre-specified, exploratory analysis of the OSLER studies, showed that the PCSK9 monoclonal antibody evolocumab reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 61%, and that this was associated with a 53% reduction in cardiovascular events…

Do we need to re-consider cholesterol treatment in primary prevention?

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). However, many individuals with only mild to moderately elevated high cholesterol do not meet guideline criteria for treatment with statins. This poses a key question: Does prolonged exposure to only mild…

How low should LDL-C be lowered? Thoughts of IMPROVE-IT rekindle debate