If you've had a heart attack or unstable chest pain, getting your bad cholesterol down fast is critical. But many people on statins still can't reach their goals. A new study suggests a twice-a-year shot could change that.
The trial tested inclisiran, an injectable medication, in 400 patients who had recently been hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. All were on statins or couldn't tolerate them, and still had high LDL cholesterol. Those who got inclisiran plus usual care were far more likely to hit their LDL targets.
At 90 days, nearly 75% of the inclisiran group reached an LDL below 70 mg/dL, compared to about 27% with usual care alone. The effect lasted: at 330 days, 67% of the inclisiran group still met that goal, versus 28% on usual care. LDL levels dropped by about 47% more with inclisiran.
The study was open-label, meaning both patients and doctors knew who got the shot. That can introduce bias. And the comparison was to usual care, not a placebo. Still, the results are striking for a real-world setting.
Inclisiran was generally well tolerated. About 59% of those on inclisiran reported any side effect, compared to 53% on usual care. No serious safety signals were reported. For people who struggle to lower their cholesterol after a heart event, this could be a powerful new option.
