Posted on 06/13/2025 5:35:45 AM PDT by Red Badger
A new cholesterol-lowering pill may offer a breakthrough for those at risk of heart attack and stroke. A major international study led by Monash University has revealed a promising new way to help protect people at high risk of heart attacks and strokes. Researchers found that a new cholesterol-lowering medication could be more effective and easier to use than current treatments.
The study, known as the BROADWAY trial, tested a once-daily oral drug called Obicetrapib. Results showed that it significantly reduced levels of LDL cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). Both are key contributors to heart disease and are often difficult to manage.
The Phase 3 trial results were presented by Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of Monash University’s Victorian Heart Institute and Monash Health’s Victorian Heart Hospital, as a late-breaking clinical study at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress in Glasgow, UK, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
According to Professor Nicholls, this breakthrough offers new hope for patients who have not been able to meet their cholesterol goals despite using the best treatments currently available.
Dual Benefit: LDL and Lp(a) Reduction
“We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don’t get their cholesterol levels low enough, even on the best available treatments,” Professor Nicholls said.
“Obicetrapib offers a promising new option – not only did it lower LDL cholesterol by over 30 per cent, but we also saw a reduction in Lp(a), which is much harder to treat and has been linked to increased heart disease risk.”
LDL cholesterol, often referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’, builds up in blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a lesser-known but inherited risk factor that can also accelerate artery damage – and unlike LDL, there are currently no widely approved treatments to lower it.
BROADWAY Trial Outcomes
In the BROADWAY trial, more than 2,500 participants with established heart disease or genetic high cholesterol were given either Obicetrapib or a placebo, in addition to their regular cholesterol medications. After 12 weeks, those on Obicetrapib had dropped their LDL cholesterol by 32.6 per cent and Lp(a) by 33.5 per cent on average – many achieved guideline-recommended targets for the first time.
Obicetrapib was also well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to earlier trials.
“This could be a valuable tool in the fight against heart disease,” Professor Nicholls said. “It’s convenient, it’s effective, and it may help close the gap for patients who’ve run out of options.”
Reference:
Safety and Efficacy of Obicetrapib in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk”
by Stephen J. Nicholls, Adam J. Nelson, Marc Ditmarsch, John J.P. Kastelein, Christie M. Ballantyne, Kausik K. Ray, Ann Marie Navar, Steven E. Nissen, Mariko Harada-Shiba, Danielle L. Curcio, Annie Neild, Douglas Kling, Andrew Hsieh, Julie Butters, Brian A. Ference, Ulrich Laufs, Maciej Banach, Roxana Mehran, Alberico L. Catapano, Yong Huo, Michael Szarek, Violeta Balinskaite and Michael H. Davidson, 6 May 2025, New England Journal of Medicine.
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2415820
Funded by NewAmsterdam Pharma, the international BROADWAY trial is investigating the effect of Obicetrapib on lipid levels and aims to characterise its safety and side-effect profile in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. The multinational, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involves patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who were receiving maximum tolerated doses of lipid-lowering therapy.
My cholesterol is borderline and my Dr. has been badgering me to get on Statins, which I refuse. My levels were significantly lower on my last checkup and my Dr. wanted to know what I have been doing. All I did was reschedule my blood work from early January to the last week of Lent.
Krill oil seems to be working for me. No numbers, but have been doing much better since I gave up doctors...
I always wonder what natural compound inspired lab-produced pharmaceuticals. Of course, it’s usually impossile to find out.
So I retro fit the effects.
Some Vitamins and supplements that lower LDL, reduce plaque, and help prevent Arteriosclerosis INCLUDE:
Niacin
Omega 3
Berberine
Natto
Hawthorne
Quercitan
Policosonal
Garlic
Cinnamon
Apple Cider Vinegar
Coconut Oil
Lemon water every day.
Avoiding inflammation is also key. Bad oils, sugar, empty carbs and calories, too much Omega 6, processed foods, etc.. We all know what it is and what to avoid.
Avoiding or minimizing bad foods and oils goes a long way to preventing the need for any of this.
And of course, just walking is great.
I am not a saint when it comes to doing everything I should but as much as I can I try to prevent damage.
The above supplements are in my house and we use them daily. A combo of these and others for other things.
Except for actual physical damages we have sustained over the years we are both in pretty dang good health (thank you Lord) and a recent Doc told me I was crushing my 60’s.
I AM the PIA that will always tell you about a natural alternative to a pharmaceutical. I apologize, but not really.
:)
Cheers!
“I had a doctor....But he died.” - George Burns................
Happened to me too, the irony.
Thank you.
All very true, but if Americans were able to fix their metabolic dysfunction through diet, how would Big Pharma make their trillions of dollars? After all, those drug company executives have gotta eat.
Exactly, Miltie. Forcibly lowering cholesterol via pharmaceuticals is like eliminating firefighters because they’re present at every house fire. The human body needs cholesterol. As another poster points out, the brain is chock full of cholesterol, and elderly folks with higher cholesterol levels live longer, healthier lives with less dementia. And guess which human food contains the most cholesterol? Breast milk. Now why would Mother Nature put a super scary poison in breast milk?
Had check up yesterday.
BP was actually a little low. All my blood work was normal.
Never changed a thing except..i started eating dark chocolate in moderation.
Had second heart attack last August.
Gotta watch it though. Like anything, to much isnt really good.
I have about a half ounce or less a day.
Beats them dam cholesterol meds i tell ya.
DARK chocolate, NOT, milk chocolate.
The hard stuff! :D
so, assuming there was fasting of some sort... in the realm of food perhaps, but in the other “sins” of the flesh also... during lent, and perhaps fasting aspects of your daily/weekly lifestyle...including prayer, renewed devotion and some repentance... during LENT your health statistic improved.
who knew?
Daniel 1:1-17
apparently, God.
it's the medications that lowers the LDL that increases the chance of dementia. LDL is essential for life and the building and re-building of our bodies. BigPharma said look what we made, now let's invent a "illness" this cures.
The cruel part of it is He hides stuff like this from us in books we don't read.
/s
Yup.
There’s all these BS supplements out there and fake crap that claims to contain dark chocolate.
I get the real stuff.
Yep
How does one stop taking statins? Is it safe to just stop all at once?
it’ll take a few years to figure out whether this medication lowers CVS deaths and/or reduces all-cause mortality ...
I had a specialist put me on statins, my LDL was on the high side of the normal range. He thought statins should be put in the water supply like flouride! I took them for a few months but as I read more about them I would take it only every other day which turned into when I remembered which turned into stopped taking them.
When I was taking them “when I remembered” I had a physical and my LDL levels were WAY low. Way below the “normal” levels. My regular doctor said “keep doing what you are doing - lower is better”. I should have argued that they have a lower number on the normal range for a reason but didn’t. Just quit taking it all together.
I didn’t notice any difference between taking them and not taking them.
There are so many natural ways to reduce "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides that taking pills should be a complete last resort.
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