A cholesterol-fighting drug which does not cause aching muscles could help patients who cannot take statins because of debilitating side-effects.
Bempedoic acid stops the body being able to create the building blocks of cholesterol.
A new trial, led by Imperial College London, which tested the drug on 2,200 patients over 12 months found that the drug was safe, produced fewer side effects than statins, and lowered cholesterol by 18 per cent.
Although statins can lower cholesterol by 50 per cent, the new drug offers an alternative for those who cannot take the drug.
Around seven million people in Britain are prescribed statins by their doctors, and millions more are eligible, but many do not stick to correct dosage, or give up because of side effects.
Professor Kausik Ray, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, who led the study, said: “We know that reducing your cholesterol levels is key to cutting the risk of heart attack and stroke, particularly if you already have established heart disease.
“Our latest study shows that bempedoic acid could be another addition to the arsenal of cholesterol-lowering treatments available to patients.”
Too much bad cholesterol in the blood can lead to plaques which clog blood vessels and increase the chance of heart attack and stroke.
Many patients at higher risk, such as those with diabetes, inherited conditions or who have previously had heart attack or stroke, are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, like statins, to reduce their risk.
The new treatment was effective even if a patient was already taking cholesterol-lowering treatment meaning it could also be offered to people already taking statins who want to see an additional benefit.
Commenting on the results, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Prof Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “On the whole statins do a great job of lowering cholesterol.
“However, this new drug could provide real benefit for the few people who can’t take them or require additional treatments to get it to the right level.
“The research suggests that it has the potential to reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes without major side effects.”
The new findings were reported in the New England Journal Of Medicine.