scholarly journals Real-world use of PCSK9 inhibitors: A single-center experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinan Sarsam ◽  
Abeer Berry ◽  
George Degheim ◽  
Robby Singh ◽  
Marcel Zughaib

Objective Hyperlipidemia is an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Many patients are intolerant to or have limited benefit from statins. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have been approved for treating hyperlipidemia in these patients. We sought to investigate the impact of these medications in a real-world cardiology practice. Methods This was a retrospective study of 17 patients with either heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels above the treatment target despite maximally tolerated statins. Baseline lipid profile was compared with a repeat lipid profile obtained 4 to 6 weeks after initiating treatment with a PCSK9 inhibitor. Results The average duration of PCSK9 inhibitor treatment was 10.7 months. Lipid profile comparison showed that total cholesterol decreased from 243 ± 72 to 148 ± 39 (mg/dL) (39% reduction), triglycerides decreased from 185 ± 86 to 149 ± 62 (mg/dL) (19.5% reduction), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased from 56 ± 20 to 62 ± 26 (mg/dL) (10.7% increase), and LDL-C decreased from 154 ± 30 to 57 ± 32 (mg/dL) (63% reduction) from baseline. Conclusions PCSK9 inhibitors as add-on therapy to maximally tolerated statins resulted in an approximately 63% reduction in LDL-C.

Author(s):  
Jana Kopčeková ◽  
Mária Holovičová ◽  
Martina Gažarová ◽  
Jana Mrázová ◽  
Marta Habánová ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the associations between selected dietary habits and lipid profiles in a group of 800 randomly selected patients hospitalized in the Nitra Cardio Center, Slovakia. Patients were aged 20–101 years (only men, the average age was 61.13 ± 10.47 years). The data necessary for the detection of dietary habits were obtained by a questionnaire method in closed-ended format. Data collection was carried out simultaneously with the somatometric and biochemical examinations of the respondents ensured by the Nitra Cardio Center. The following parameters were evaluated: total cholesterol (T-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, and blood glucose. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed using one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. We detected significant differences (p < 0.05) in the influence of the number of daily meals on T-C and LDL-C, which were higher in men who consumed 1–2 meals compared with 3–4 or 5–6 meals. In the consumption of meat, eggs, and fish, there was no significant effect on the biochemical parameters of blood (p > 0.05). We recorded a significant effect (p < 0.001) on T-C and LDL-C levels between low-fat and whole-fat milk consumption. Except for the impact of fruit consumption on the HDL-C level (p < 0.001), the different frequencies of fruit consumption showed non-significant changes for the lipid profile levels. We detected a significant effect (p = 0.017) of the consumption of vegetables 1–2 times/week on LDL-C in favor of daily consumption. Our results support that monitoring the lipid profile is an important determinant in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The conducted research emphasizes the importance of diet dependence on the improvement of the quality of treatment and nutrition of people with this type of disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 3828
Author(s):  
Alex Smith ◽  
Drew Johnson ◽  
Joshua Banks ◽  
Scott W. Keith ◽  
Dean G. Karalis

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and cardiovascular event rates, yet due to their high price remain underutilized and difficult to prescribe in clinical practice. In March 2018, their price was significantly reduced. We evaluated whether the price reduction would improve prescribing patterns of PCSK9 inhibitors in eligible patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Methods: We identified the number of eligible ASCVD patients and those prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor for each year between July 2015 and December 2019. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics for those prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor were extracted from their electronic health record. Results: In total 1059 patients of eligible patients received a new prescription for a PCSK9 inhibitor. From 2015 to 2019, the rate of new prescriptions among eligible patients increased from 0.5 to 3.3% (p < 0.001) and continuation rates increased from 18 to 60% (p < 0.001). Following the price reduction, patients who were prescribed a PCSK9 inhibitor were younger and more likely to be female, but less likely to have Medicare insurance. Conclusions: Despite the reduction in the cost of PCSK9 inhibitors, most eligible patients are not prescribed one. The reduction in cost has improved adherence, primarily in patients with commercial insurance. Older patients and those on Medicare still face significant barriers in accessing a PCSK9 inhibitor. Further reductions in the price of the PCSK9 inhibitors are needed as is further study of the barriers that exist in prescribing one.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandni Bardolia ◽  
Nishita Shah Amin ◽  
Jacques Turgeon

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a modifiable risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Statins have been the gold standard for managing cholesterol levels and reducing the risks associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, many patients do not achieve their cholesterol goals or are unable to tolerate this drug class due to adverse drug events. Recent studies of non-statin cholesterol lowering drugs (i.e., ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors) have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits; and new drugs [i.e., bempedoic acid (BDA), inclisiran] have produced promising results in pre-clinical and clinical outcome trials. This narrative review aims to discuss the place in therapy of ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, BDA, and inclisiran and describe their relative pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, efficacy and safety as monotherapy and combination therapy, and cardiovascular benefit(s) when used for hypercholesterolemia.


Author(s):  
Ruihai Zhou ◽  
George A. Stouffer ◽  
Sidney C. Smith

Hypercholesterolemia is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been labeled as “bad” cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as “good” cholesterol. The prevailing hypothesis is that lowering blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL-C, reduces vascular deposition and retention of cholesterol or apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins which are atherogenic. We review herein the clinical trial data on different pharmacological approaches to lowering blood cholesterol and propose that the mechanism of action of cholesterol lowering, as well as the amplitude of cholesterol reduction, are critically important in leading to improved clinical outcomes in ASCVD. The effects of bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, niacin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors, apolipoprotein A-I and HDL mimetics, apoB regulators, acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, statins, and proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, among other strategies are reviewed. Clinical evidence supports that different classes of cholesterol lowering or lipoprotein regulating approaches yielded variable effects on ASCVD outcomes, especially in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Statins are the most widely used cholesterol lowering agents and have the best proven cardiovascular event and survival benefits. Manipulating cholesterol levels by specific targeting of apoproteins or lipoproteins has not yielded clinical benefit. Understanding why lowering LDL-C by different approaches varies in clinical outcomes of ASCVD, especially in survival benefit, may shed further light on our evolving understanding of how cholesterol and its carrier lipoproteins are involved in ASCVD and aid in developing effective pharmacological strategies to improve the clinical outcomes of ASCVD.


2020 ◽  
pp. 204748732094010
Author(s):  
Konstantinos C Koskinas ◽  
Baris Gencer ◽  
David Nanchen ◽  
Mattia Branca ◽  
David Carballo ◽  
...  

Aims The 2018 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) and 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) lipid guidelines recently updated their recommendations regarding proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-9 inhibitors (PCSK9i). We assessed the potential eligibility for PCSK9i according to the new guidelines in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Methods and results We analysed a contemporary, prospective Swiss cohort of patients hospitalised for acute coronary syndromes. We modelled a statin intensification effect and an incremental ezetimibe effect on low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels among patients who were not on high-intensity statins or ezetimibe. One year after the index acute coronary syndrome event, treatment eligibility for PCSK9i was defined as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of 1.4 mmol/l or greater according to ESC/EAS guidelines. For ACC/AHA guidelines, treatment eligibility was defined as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of 1.8 mmol/l or greater in the presence of very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, defined by multiple major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events and/or high-risk conditions. Of 2521 patients, 93.2% were treated with statins (53% high-intensity statins) and 7.3% with ezetimibe at 1 year, and 54.9% had very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels less than 1.8 mmol/l and less than 1.4 mmol/l at 1 year were observed in 37.5% and 15.7% of patients, respectively. After modelling the statin intensification and ezetimibe effects, these numbers increased to 76.1% and 49%, respectively. The proportion of patients eligible for PCSK9i was 51% according to ESC/EAS criteria versus 14% according to ACC/AHA criteria. Conclusions In this analysis, the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines rendered half of all post-acute coronary syndrome patients potentially eligible for PCSK9i treatment, as compared to a three-fold lower eligibility rate based on the 2018 ACC/AHA guidelines.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Ikezaki ◽  
Elise Lim ◽  
Ching-Ti Liu ◽  
L Adrienne Cupples ◽  
Bela F Asztalos ◽  
...  

Introduction: Elevated plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small-dense LDL-C (sdLDL-C), LDL-triglyceride (LDL-TG), triglycerides (TG), remnant-lipoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C), triglyceride-rich lipoprotein-C (TRL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels have been associated with increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, these parameters have not been included in risk factors for ASCVD in the pooled cohort equation (PCE). Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that these atherogenic lipoprotein parameters add significant information for ASCVD risk prediction in the Framingham Offspring Study. Methods: We evaluated 3,147 subjects without ASCVD at baseline (mean age 58 years) from participants of Framingham Offspring Study cycle 6, 677 (21.5%) of whom developed inclusive ASCVD over 16 years. Biomarkers of risk were assessed in frozen plasma samples. Total cholesterol, TG, HDL-C, direct LDL-C, sdLDL-C, LDL-TG, Lp(a), RLP-C, and TRL-C were measured by standardized automated analysis. Calculated LDL-C, large buoyant low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (lbLDL-C), VLDL-C, and non-HDL-C values were calculated. Data were analyzed using Cox proportional regression analysis and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analysis to identify parameters significantly associated with the incidence of ASCVD after controlling for standard ASCVD risk factor and applying the PCE model. Results: All specialized lipoprotein parameters were significant ASCVD risk factors on univariate analysis, but only direct LDL-C, sdLDL-C, and Lp(a) were significant on multivariate analysis with standard risk factors in the model. Together these parameters significantly improved the model c statistic (0.716 vs 0.732, P < 0.05) and net risk reclassification (mean NRI 0.104, P < 0.01) for ASCVD risk. Using the ASCVD risk pooled cohort equation, sdLDL-C, TG, LDL-TG, LDL-C, RLP-C, and TRL-C individually added significant information, but no other parameter added significant information with sdLDL-C (hazard ratio 1.30 for 75th vs 25th percentile, P < 0.0001) in the model. Conclusions: In multivariate analysis, sdLDL-C, direct LDL-C, and Lp(a) contributed significantly to ASCVD risk, but only sdLDL-C added significant risk information to the PCE model, indicating that sdLDL-C may be the most atherogenic lipoprotein particle.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kausik K. Ray ◽  
Stefano Del Prato ◽  
Dirk Müller-Wieland ◽  
Bertrand Cariou ◽  
Helen M. Colhoun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Individuals with diabetes often have high levels of atherogenic lipoproteins and cholesterol reflected by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and LDL particle number (LDL-PN). The presence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) increases the risk of future cardiovascular events. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor, alirocumab, among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), high LDL-C or non-HDL-C, and established ASCVD receiving maximally tolerated statin in ODYSSEY DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA (NCT02642159) and DM-INSULIN (NCT02585778). Methods In DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA, individuals with T2DM and mixed dyslipidemia (non-HDL-C ≥ 100 mg/dL; n = 413) were randomized to open-label alirocumab 75 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) or usual care (UC) for 24 weeks, with UC options selected before stratified randomization. In DM-INSULIN, insulin-treated individuals with T2DM (LDL-C ≥ 70 mg/dL; n = 441) were randomized in a double-blind fashion to alirocumab 75 mg Q2W or placebo for 24 weeks. Study participants also had a glycated hemoglobin < 9% (DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA) or < 10% (DM-INSULIN). Alirocumab dose was increased to 150 mg Q2W at week 12 if week 8 LDL-C was ≥ 70 mg/dL (DM-INSULIN) or non-HDL-C was ≥ 100 mg/dL (DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA). Lipid reductions and safety were assessed in patients with ASCVD from these studies. Results This analysis included 142 DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA and 177 DM-INSULIN participants with ASCVD, including 95.1% and 86.4% with coronary heart disease, and 32.4% and 49.7% with microvascular diabetes complications, respectively. At week 24, alirocumab significantly reduced LDL-C, non-HDL-C, ApoB, and LDL-PN from baseline versus control. This translated into a greater proportion of individuals achieving non-HDL-C < 100 mg/dL (64.6% alirocumab/23.8% UC [DM-DYSLIPIDEMIA]; 65.4% alirocumab/14.9% placebo [DM-INSULIN]) and ApoB < 80 mg/dL (75.1% alirocumab/35.4% UC and 76.8% alirocumab/24.8% placebo, respectively) versus control at week 24 (all P < 0.0001). In pooling these studies, 66.4% (alirocumab) and 67.0% (control) of individuals reported treatment-emergent adverse events. The adverse event pattern was similar with alirocumab versus controls. Conclusions Among individuals with T2DM and ASCVD who had high non-HDL-C/LDL-C levels despite maximally tolerated statin, alirocumab significantly reduced atherogenic cholesterol and LDL-PN versus control. Alirocumab was generally well tolerated. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT02642159. Registered 30 December 2015 and Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT02585778. Registered 23 October 2015


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