New LDL-lowering drug in trials for statin-intolerant patients

noonereal said:

OMG
Not that it matters as I will not take any NEW med. The real world side effects are always much greater and more pronounced than as advertised when released.
That said, IF this does as advertised, it is genuinely needed and will make more money for the evil, Big Pharma.

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New drugs do not necessarily have to be brand new. My cardiologist asked if I was familiar with Zetria, which is been around a while but which had never been prescribed for me. He wanted my total & LDL cholesterol down & the Zeria, added to 60 mg Lipitor, did the trick. My PCP, when asked, stated that half her patients had high cholesterol but that she doesn't prescribe Zetia. Go figure. Getting your cholesterol under control is like playing the lottery. (I also had to suggest to my PCP increasing my Lipitor from 40 to 60 mg. That seems to be the right level for me).

JacksinPA said:

Fainting during urination (micturition syncope): What causes it? - Mayo Clinic

This condition you referred to is known as micturition syncope. Interesting short article on ways to avoid blacking out, hitting your head & spending 2 days in a hospital as I did last Fall.

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I'm glad you are well. I had friends and acquaintances who didn't spend a few days in the hospital. They died. Micturition syncope was only one of the maladies that did them in on the throne.

This past Wednesday morning I had the pleasure of receiving a new pacemaker/defrib device to replace an older implant. Congestive heart disease progressed and I needed a unit more suited to my needs. I arrived home today, staying an additional day and half to have more fluids caused by my heart problem removed, while my kidneys received surveillance to prevent more damage incurred by the overflow and retention of those fluids. The nurses were great, the doctors confusing each other and the food sucked. But I feel privileged to be alive and already growing stronger and healthier. Worse was daytime TV, but naps somewhat alleviated that problem, as well as annoying over solicitous family members. A few weeks from now and I'll be as well as where I was 4 months ago and getting stronger. While I was there, two patients passed with similar problems. The staff did their best by them but it wasn't enough. Could have been me but for the grace of god, regardless whether or not she exists.

I arrived home at 3pm and by 3:15 I had two grandkids climbing all over me until grandma pulled them off. I enjoyed being the mountain, if only for a few minutes. Their breath was sweet. Their laughter like angels in my ears. What more can a man ask?

I'll be a bit uncomfortable for a few weeks until the procedure site is more fully healed, but then, back to wild sex on trampolines, well maybe just the trampolines.

I made it a practice to say thank you everytime a nurse (and all other staff including food servers and cleaning staff) did something for me, even if it was only checking vitals. They rarely hear a thank you from patients, just more demands. Tho some express their thanks, too many do not. And some get down right abrasive and abusive. Like all of us, the nurses respond in kind. They do their jobs with the best possible intentions, but go a bit further for those who appreciate them.

OldFatGuy said:

Low impact exercise will be just as effective for most patients. Long walks when possible, or multiple short walks, swimming, horseback riding, and so forth, along with a quality diet of fresh greens, reasonable whole fiber carbs, nuts, and avoidance of foods high in trans fats. My total cholesterol rarely exceeds 130, my LDL about 45. I take no statins, and diet controls are less expensive than medications. Two meals per day are sufficient, with light snacking if hungry. Enough carbs to keep the heart happy, but not excessive, an orange or apple if blood sugars dip. Blood sugars are my problem, and keeping them low also assists lower cholesterol levels. It's more of a problem when my blood sugars are too low. I'm a 1/4" shy of 6', I peaked at about 215 18 months ago, now about 185. Weight control is crucial to both cholesterol and sugar levels. I'm 70 and find walking the dog is an immense help for getting me out the door and off my butt. I'd walk the parrot but he isn't interested. My horseback riding days are sadly over. Falling is a potential problem. A few sit ups and push ups in the morning doesn't hurt. If you can't do a few sit ups, you do have a problem.

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I am 43, run an average of 30 to 34 miles per week, lift weights an average of 4 to 5 days a week (and I bring it at the gym), have a high strength to weight ratio, a vo2 max in the upper 50s (college athlete level), eat a strict whole foods diet, and am still even rocking abs, but my total cholesterol is always between 200 and 235 or so. I don't take any drugs for it because my HDL is always really good, and thus my cholesterol ratio is good, but my point is that sometimes higher cholesterol is just genetic.

SouthernDemocrat said:

I am 43, run an average of 30 to 34 miles per week, lift weights an average of 4 to 5 days a week (and I bring it at the gym), have a high strength to weight ratio, a vo2 max in the upper 50s (college athlete level), eat a strict whole foods diet, and am still even rocking abs, but my total cholesterol is always between 200 and 235 or so. I don't take any drugs for it because my HDL is always really good, and thus my cholesterol ratio is good, but my point is that sometimes higher cholesterol is just genetic.

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Terrific. Keep it up. Exercise is the best regimen for keeping healthy. Add a high fiber diet to the mix and you'll likely live longer with a quality health result over the long run (no pun intended). I agree, for some high blood cholesterol is genetic. The liver produces blood cholesterol and the reasons are not understood. I know others with the same issue including a good friend, now 68 and relatively healthy who has always had cholesterol levels in the 400's range. The bigger question is if that cholesterol will calcify to cause atherosclerosis? AKA hardening of the arteries. That's the underlying cause of many heart attacks and strokes. Excess blood sugars may be the greater issue. Also good to check. After breakfast, a hot shower and shave, I'll be taking a 10 block walk, for the moment sufficient exercise to get the ball rolling again. Step by step toward rebuilding strength and stamina for me. We all operate at different levels. Good work and be well.

BTW free weights are good for the heart, they produce more blood vessels to feed the muscle tissue, which reduce heart stress.

OldFatGuy said:

Terrific. Keep it up. Exercise is the best regimen for keeping healthy. Add a high fiber diet to the mix and you'll likely live longer with a quality health result over the long run (no pun intended). I agree, for some high blood cholesterol is genetic. The liver produces blood cholesterol and the reasons are not understood. I know others with the same issue including a good friend, now 68 and relatively healthy who has always had cholesterol levels in the 400's range. The bigger question is if that cholesterol will calcify to cause atherosclerosis? AKA hardening of the arteries. That's the underlying cause of many heart attacks and strokes. Excess blood sugars may be the greater issue. Also good to check. After breakfast, a hot shower and shave, I'll be taking a 10 block walk, for the moment sufficient exercise to get the ball rolling again. Step by step toward rebuilding strength and stamina for me. We all operate at different levels. Good work and be well.

BTW free weights are good for the heart, they produce more blood vessels to feed the muscle tissue, which reduce heart stress.

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My glucose levels (non-fasting), are always around 75 to 83 mg/dl or so, which is always great.

My triglycerides are always low as well.

My HDL ranges from 65 mg/dl to over 80 mg/dl

Since my diet includes large amounts of vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains, I always get tons of fiber.

I had a calcium score a couple of years ago and my calcium score was 0, thus I had no arterial calcification at all.

Also, my resting heart rate is in the upper 30s to low 40s depending on the day, and my maximum heart rate is still over 200 bpm.

SouthernDemocrat said:

My glucose levels (non-fasting), are always around 75 to 83 mg/dl or so, which is always great.

My triglycerides are always low as well.

My HDL ranges from 65 mg/dl to over 80 mg/dl

Since my diet includes large amounts of vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains, I always get tons of fiber.

I had a calcium score a couple of years ago and my calcium score was 0, thus I had no arterial calcification at all.

Also, my resting heart rate is in the upper 30s to low 40s depending on the day, and my maximum heart rate is still over 200 bpm.

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Great. Keep it up.

I tell my doctors nothing they do for me will help, I know how I will die. A toilet seat will fall from the sky, hit me in the head. With my new pacemaker, my heart will keep beating. :slapme:

noonereal said:

OMG
Not that it matters as I will not take any NEW med. The real world side effects are always much greater and more pronounced than as advertised when released.
That said, IF this does as advertised, it is genuinely needed and will make more money for the evil, Big Pharma.

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Big Pharma is constantly looking for the next Lipitor or Prozac that make them billions of $$$ during the remaining life of the patents.

JacksinPA said:

Big Pharma is constantly looking for the next Lipitor or Prozac that make them billions of $$$ during the remaining life of the patents.

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Of course they are.

And smart people understand that they should be incentivized for bringing drugs that improve quality of life to market.

Threegoofs said:

Of course they are.

And smart people understand that they should be incentivized for bringing drugs that improve quality of life to market.

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Big Pharma is only following opportunities to offer expensive drugs that you have to take every day for the rest of your life. Areas where there is urgent need for new drugs, such as antibiotics, are ignored.

JacksinPA said:

Big Pharma is only following opportunities to offer expensive drugs that you have to take every day for the rest of your life. Areas where there is urgent need for new drugs, such as antibiotics, are ignored.

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That’s because antibiotics are really really hard to develop.

Threegoofs said:

That’s because antibiotics are really really hard to develop.

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No they are not. Because resistance develops rapidly, most have limited market lives. And since antibiotics are only used for short periods of time, they are not profitable enough to justify the cost of developing them to market.

JacksinPA said:

No they are not. Because resistance develops rapidly, most have limited market lives. And since antibiotics are only used for short periods of time, they are not profitable enough to justify the cost of developing them to market.

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Not really.

Plenty of antibiotics are being used that are 50 years old. The main workhorses are all old and cheap.

But development is expensive, hard, and not too profitable, since we have so many effective cheap antibiotics out there. And yes, the courses are short, so you won’t get much use.

But they also are really hard to develop. Lots fail, the toxicities are often high because, after all, you’re trying to kill things. Realistically, there’s only about five classes of drug that work and are relatively safe.. most antibiotics are based upon them.