Ezetimibe therapy: mechanism of action and clinical update.

The lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary target of therapy in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Although statin therapy is the mainstay for LDL-C lowering, a significant percentage of patients prescribed these agents either do not achieve targets with statin therapy alone or have partial or complete intolerance to them. For such patients, the use of adjuvant therapy capable of providing incremental LDL-C reduction is advised. One such agent is ezetimibe, a cholesterol absorption inhibitor that targets uptake at the jejunal enterocyte brush border. Its primary target of action is the cholesterol transport protein Nieman Pick C1 like 1 protein. Ezetimibe is an effective LDL-C lowering agent and is safe and well tolerated. In response to significant controversy surrounding the use and therapeutic effectiveness of this drug, we provide an update on the biochemical mechanism of action for ezetimibe, its safety and efficacy, as well as the results of recent randomized studies that support its use in a variety of clinical scenarios

Dyslipidemia treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus in a US managed care plan: a retrospective database analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To evaluate real-world pharmacologic treatment of mixed dyslipidemia in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All commercial health plan members in a large US managed care database with complete lipid panel results (HDL-C, LDL-C, TG) between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2006 were identified (N = 529,236). DM patients (N = 53,679) with mixed dyslipidemia were defined as having any 2 suboptimal lipid parameters (N = 28,728). Lipid treatment status 6 months pre- and post-index date was determined using pharmacy claims for any lipid therapy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Post-index, 41.1% of DM patients with 2 abnormal lipid parameters and 45.1% with 3 abnormal lipid parameters did not receive lipid-modifying treatment. Post-index treatment rates were 57.4%, 63.6%, and 66.4% for patients with LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG in the most severe quartiles, respectively. Statin monotherapy was the primary lipid-modifying regimen prescribed (54.8% and 47.8% of patients with any 2 and all 3 lipids not at goal, respectively). Less than 30% of treated patients received combination therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Over 40% of DM patients with mixed dyslipidemia received no lipid-modifying therapy during the follow-up period. Those who were treated were primarily prescribed statin monotherapy. This study suggests that DM patients are not being treated to ADA-suggested targets.</p

Treatment with exenatide once weekly or twice daily for 30 weeks is associated with changes in several cardiovascular risk markers

Background Dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes are two of the most significant risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Measurement of lipoprotein subclasses provides important information about derangements in lipid metabolism and helps refine cardiovascular risk assessment. Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, improved glycemic control, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in clinical trials. Methods In the DURATION-1 trial, patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with exenatide once weekly or twice daily for 30 weeks. This post hoc analysis evaluated the impact of exenatide on lipoprotein subclasses in 211 DURATION-1 patients using vertical auto profile methodology and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences general linear model adjusted for glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and weight. Results Baseline lipids and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were normal overall based on the standard lipid panel. Once-weekly exenatide reduced apolipoprotein B and the apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 ratio (P \u3c 0.05), independent of glycemic improvement and weight loss. A significant shift in lipoprotein pattern away from small, dense low-density lipoprotein-4 cholesterol was also observed (P \u3c 0.05). Exenatide once weekly increased high-density lipoprotein-2 cholesterol, even after adjustment for changes in HbA1c and weight (P \u3c 0.05). Triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were reduced with both the once-weekly and twice-daily exenatide regimens (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusion In this post hoc analysis, exenatide significantly improved a number of cardiovascular risk markers. Continuous exenatide exposure with exenatide once weekly elicited a greater response than did immediate-release exenatide twice daily, generally independent of glycemic improvement and weight loss. Thus, in addition to improving glycemic control, exenatide induced favorable changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and decreased systemic inflammation

Effect of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor evolocumab on glycemia, body weight, and new-onset diabetes mellitus

Statin therapy modestly increases new-onset diabetes risk. The effect of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition on new-onset diabetes, glycemia, and weight remains unclear. We studied the effects of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor evolocumab on fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, weight, and new-onset diabetes mellitus. We pooled 1-year (48-week) data for participants who had completed an evolocumab parent study before entering an open-label extension (OLE) trial. Data were available for 4,802 participants (1,602 on standard of care [SOC]; 3,200 on evolocumab plus SOC) in 2 OLE trials. Evolocumab lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by approximately 60% compared with SOC alone. Over the first year of the OLE trials, there was no difference in median (Q1, Q3) change in glycated hemoglobin (0.1% [-0.1, 0.2] for both SOC and evolocumab plus SOC) and fasting plasma glucose (0.06 mmol/L [-0.28, 0.38 mmol/L] for SOC and 0.06 mmol/L [-0.28, 0.44 mmol/L] for evolocumab plus SOC). Mean weight change (standard error) at 1 year was -0.1 kg (0.2) on SOC compared with 0.3 kg (0.1) on evolocumab plus SOC. The exposure-adjusted incidence rate (95% confidence intervals) for new-onset diabetes per 100 patient years was 3.7 (2.9 to 4.7) on control/SOC alone and 3.9 (3.2 to 4.6) on evolocumab/evolocumab plus SOC treatment. Glycemic changes observed in 6,430 participants at week 12 in the parent studies were comparable with OLE trial findings. In conclusion, evolocumab therapy has no effect on glucose homeostasis over 1 year of open-label treatment

Prevalence of United States adults with triglycerides ≥ 135 mg/dL: NHANES 2007–2014

n/a - brief communicatio

New Perspectives on Atherogenic Dyslipidaemia and Cardiovascular Disease

Over the past few decades, atherogenic dyslipidaemia has become one of the most common phenotypic presentations of lipid abnormalities, being strongly and unequivocally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Despite the excellent results achieved from statin and non-statin management of LDL cholesterol and CV events prevention, there still remains a significant residual risk, associated with the prevalence of non-LDL cholesterol lipid patterns characterised by elevated triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol, a preponderance of small and dense LDL particles, accumulation of remnant lipoproteins and postprandial hyperlipidaemia. These qualitative and quantitative lipid modifications are largely associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity, the prevalence of which has grown to epidemic proportions throughout the world. In this review, we analyse the pathophysiology of this particular dyslipidaemia, its relationship with the development of atherosclerotic CV disease and, finally, briefly describe the therapeutic approaches, including changes in lifestyle and current pharmacological interventions to manage these lipid alterations aimed at preventing CV events

Leczenie dużymi dawkami statyn: korzyści i bezpieczeństwo intensywnej terapii hipolipemizującej

Cholesterol frakcji LDL (LDL-C) jest biomarkerem miażdżycy. Zmniejszenie stężenia LDL-C wiąże się ze zmniejszeniem ryzyka niepożądanych punktów końcowych o etiologii sercowo-naczyniowej. W ostatnich badaniach wykazano korzyści z obniżenia stężenia LDL-C poniżej 100 mg/dl, a nawet poniżej 70 mg/dl. Na ich podstawie dokonano aktualizacji zaleceń, sugerując niższe docelowe stężenia LDL-C u niektórych pacjentów należących do grupy wysokiego ryzyka. U pacjentów bez potwierdzonej choroby wieńcowej lub ekwiwalentu choroby wieńcowej z co najmniej 2 czynnikami ryzyka, należy obliczyć 10-letnie ryzyko według skali Framingham w celu ustalenia docelowej wartości LDL-C. Wydaje się, że optymalne stężenie LDL-C u wszystkich pacjentów z chorobą sercowo-naczyniową wynosi poniżej 70 mg/dl. U pacjentów bez choroby sercowo-naczyniowej celowe jest zmniejszenie stężenia LDL-C o co najmniej 50% w stosunku do stężenia wyjściowego. Stężenie LDL-C poniżej 70 mg/dl można osiągnąć w bezpieczny sposób u większości pacjentów z chorobą sercowo-naczyniową, o ile stosuje się wysoce skuteczne leki hipolipemizujące. W ciągu ponad 20 lat stosowania statyn przez miliony pacjentów udowodniono, że taka terapia jest bezpieczna i dobrze tolerowana. Lekarze powinni wybrać lek, który pozwoli osiągnąć odpowiednie stężenie LDL-C, na podstawie danych dotyczących klinicznych punktów końcowych, wybrać odpowiednio dużą dawkę początkową oraz modyfikować dawkę tak, aby osiągnąć docelowe stężenie

A novel wear-resistant magnetic thin film material based on a Ti1−xFexC1−yTi_{1-x}Fe_xC_{1-y} nanocomposite alloy

In this study we report on the film growth and characterization of thin (approximately 50 nm thick) Ti-Fe-C films deposited on amorphous quartz. The experimental studies have been complemented by first principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Upon annealing of as-prepared films, the composition of the metastable Ti-Fe-C film changes. An iron-rich phase is first formed close to the film surface, but with increasing annealing time this phase is gradually displaced toward the film-substrate interface where its position stabilizes. Both the magnetic ordering temperature and the saturation magnetization changes significantly upon annealing. The DFT calculations show that the critical temperature and the magnetic moment both increase with increasing Fe and C-vacancy concentration. The formation of the metastable iron-rich Ti-Fe-C compound is reflected in the strong increase of the magnetic ordering temperature. Eventually, after enough annealing time ($\geq 10$ minutes), nano-crystalline $\alpha$-Fe starts to precipitate and the amount and size of these precipitates can be controlled by the annealing procedure; after 20 minutes of annealing, the experimental results indicate a nano-crystalline iron-film embedded in a wear resistant TiC compound. This conclusion is further supported by transmission electron microscopy studies on epitaxial Ti-Fe-C films deposited on single crystalline MgO substrates where, upon annealing, an iron film embedded in TiC is formed. Our results suggest that annealing of metastable Ti-Fe-C films can be used as an efficient way of creating a wear-resistant magnetic thin film material.Comment: 23 pages, 13 figure

Dietary food patterns and glucose/insulin homeostasis: a cross-sectional study involving 24,182 adult Americans

AIM: To investigate the association of major dietary patterns with glucose and insulin homeostasis parameters in a large American sample. The association between dietary patterns (DP) derived via principal components analysis (PCA), with glucose/insulin homeostasis parameters was assessed. The likelihood of insulin resistance (IR) across the DPs quarters was also explored. METHOD: The United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) participants during 2005-2012 were included if they underwent measurement of dietary intake as well as glucose and insulin homeostasis parameters. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and adjusted logistic and linear regression models were employed to account for the complex survey design and sample weights. RESULTS: A total of 24,182 participants were included; 48.9% (n = 11,815) were men. Applying PCA revealed three DP (56.8% of variance): the first was comprised mainly of saturated fat (SFA), total fat, mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and carbohydrate (CHO); the second is highly enriched with vitamins, trace elements and dietary fiber; and the third was composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), cholesterol and protein. Among the total population, after adjustment for age, sex, race, C-reactive protein, smoking, and physical activity, glucose homeostasis factors, visceral adiposity index and lipid accumulation product improved across the quarters of the first and third DP; and a reverse pattern with the second DP. The same trend was observed for the non-diabetic subjects. Moreover, subjects with higher adherence to the first and third DP had higher likelihood for developing IR, whereas there was a lower likelihood for the second DP. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the DP heavily loaded with CHO, SFA, PUFA, protein, total fat and MUFA as well as high-cholesterol-load foods is associated with impaired glucose tolerance; in contrast, the healthy pattern which is high in vitamins, minerals and fiber may have favourable effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance

Management of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders in patients infected with SARS CoV-2: pharmacological and clinical issues

Aims: Coronavirus-19 infection (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world. It is known that among patients with hypertension, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cardiovascular (CV) diseases, COVID-19 is associated with greater morbidity and mortality compared to patients without these conditions. This correlation is of great importance in pregnant women affected by COVID-19 since it usually leads to the development of a serious clinical complication. In particular, managing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy can be problematic because anti-hypertensive medications may interact pharmacologically with drugs used to treat COVID-19. This review focuses on the safety of drug treatment for COVID-19 in pregnant women treated with anti-hypertensive medication. Methods and results: Several databases were searched to identify relevant literature. A few anti-hypertensive drugs and antithrombotic treatments are known for having a beneficial effect in the management of hypertension and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. In this review, we focus on the expected drug-drug interactions with the experimental agents mostly used to treat COVID-19. Conclusions: The current indication for the management of hypertension-related disorders in pregnancy maintain their validity, while the risk of pharmacological interaction with the currently tested anti-SARS-CoV-2 medications is relatively low