The NHS has announced that it is planning to offer a new, revolutionary drug called Inclisiran to the hundreds of thousands of people in England and Wales who are at risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Scientists insist the new drug is like a ‘lifeline’ for those who cannot manage their cholesterol levels, as it tackles high-risk patients’ disease every bit as good as expensive statins.
NHS expects to save over 30,000 lives within ten years with their new drug. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the new drug among the first treatments for people with high levels of bad cholesterol in their blood who have already had a stroke or heart attack and are not responding to statins.
“Inclisiran represents a potential game-changer in preventing thousands of people from dying prematurely from heart attacks and strokes. We’re therefore pleased to be able to recommend it as a cost-effective option on the NHS,” added Meindert Boysen, NICE deputy chief executive and director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is one of the types of fats that are in your body. Cholesterol is a fatty substance – a lipid – found in some foods and also produced in the liver. Many people in the UK eat too much cholesterol, especially those on diets with very low-calorie intake. These people should consider reducing their saturated fat intake, increasing their fruit and vegetable intake, and taking small amounts of statin drugs if they are at risk of heart disease. A low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level is useful to measure, especially in those who are at risk of developing heart disease but is not always an accurate indicator of how bad your cholesterol levels actually are.