Millions of people take prescription drugs known as statins to manage high cholesterol. Doctors prescribe statins as a first-line of defense to help bring down cholesterol levels in the blood, but not everyone tolerates statins well and report side effects such as muscle pain, headaches and weakness.
In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved bempedoic acid as an alternative drug to lower cholesterol for those unable to take statin medications. Now a new Cleveland Clinic-led study shows bempedoic acid can also reduce serious cardiovascular events. Bempedoic acid is sold under the brand name Nexletol. The study was funded by Esperion Therapeutics, developer of bempedoic acid.
Dr. Steven Nissen, the study’s lead author joins us to begin Wednesday's "Sound of Ideas." He is the Chief Academic Officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
Later in the program, we'll bring you the second episode of Ideastream Public Media’s new podcast, “Living for We.” It explores why Cleveland ranked last in terms of livability metrics for Black women. Ideastream Public Media’s Director of Engaged Journalism, Marlene Harris-Taylor, hosts the podcast. In this week’s episode, she talks to two women who found themselves in public and painful situations: Samaria Rice and Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway.
Guests:
-Steven Nissen, MD, Chief Academic Officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic
Podcast Guests:
-Marlene Harris-Taylor, Director, Engaged Journalism, Ideastream Public Media, Host
-Samaria Rice, Mother of Tamir Rice
-Ayesha Bell Hardaway, Assistant Professor of Law
-Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., Psychologist