Anti-cholesterol treatment approved
Updated on 28 November 2007
People who cannot tolerate the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins will get a new treatment on the NHS under new guidance published.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has recommended the drug ezetimibe (ezetrol) for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia, which is characterised by high concentrations of cholesterol in the blood.
In one type - primary heterozygous-familial hypercholesterolaemia - the high levels are caused by a faulty gene and it runs in families.
A second, more common type - primary non-familial hypercholesterolaemia - is where genetic factors combine with a person's lifestyle habits, such as poor diet, smoking and a lack of exercise, to cause high cholesterol levels.
According to Nice, ezetimibe works by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, unlike statins which inhibit the production of cholesterol in the liver.
About 150,000 might benefit from the drug, according to the watchdog. There are about 3.5 million people on statins in the UK.
Ezetimibe is designed for people who would normally be given statins but cannot take them because of health reasons or because they cannot tolerate them.
It is also an option for patients whose cholesterol is still not properly controlled after an increase in their initial dose of statin or where they cannot tolerate the statin.
Ezetimibe can be used in combination with statins if necessary, but can also be given on its own.
Andrew Dillon, chief executive of Nice, said: "Hypercholesterolaemia is an important risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common cause of death in the UK as well as being a major cause of morbidity and reduced quality of life. Today's guidance, therefore, is good news for those patients who are unable to achieve their target cholesterol levels using a statin alone, and good news for healthcare professionals who now have more choice about how they manage this significant risk factor."
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