New Treatment To Raise Good
Cholesterol
(April 10,
2004, Medindia Health News)
Researchers say there could be
a new way to help prevent heart disease. Recent research shows the drug
torcetrapib could help increase high-density lipoprotein levels, also known
as good cholesterol. Statins have helped improve the outcomes of patients at
risk for heart disease. They are commonly used to lower low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.
One potential therapeutic target is a low level of good cholesterol. In
fact, a low level of good cholesterol is the most
common abnormality observed in patients with known coronary heart disease.
Researchers conducted a study looking at torcetrapib as a way to increase
good cholesterol levels in patients. The study included 19 patients with low
HDL
cholesterol. Nine of the patients were also taking a statin drug. All of the
participants received a placebo for four weeks and then received torcetrapib
for four weeks. The patients who were not on a statin then took an
additional four weeks of the drug twice a day.
Results showed patients on the statins and torcetrapib had a 61-percent
increase in their HDL cholesterol, and those just on torcetrapib had a
46-percent increase during the four-week period. Furthermore, the patients
who continued on the drug twice a day saw a 106-percent increase in their
HDL cholesterol levels.
However researchers say larger studies need to be done to confirm these
results.