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Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for more than 100 years, but we’re working hard to change that. Recent advances in medication therapy mean there are more effective options for patients with some common heart conditions to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
We’re making progress. Many fewer people die from heart attacks now than years ago, and stroke mortality continues to decline. Yet cardiovascular-related deaths still topped 930,000 in the U.S. last year, so we can use all the help we can get to prevent heart disease.
New medications, some originally intended to treat related conditions, are proving effective at improving heart health and helping more people prevent potentially dangerous and disabling cardiovascular events.
GLP1-RA: Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.
You probably know about GLP-1 receptor agonists, even if you don’t know them by that name. These popular medications are marketed under names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
GLP-1 RA medications work by helping people with diabetes or obesity control their blood sugar. Losing weight and controlling diabetes can lower your heart risk significantly, and GLP-1 RA drugs are now being prescribed for heart health, especially in people with diabetes.
Research has shown these medications can also help control other factors for cardiovascular disease, including:
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Lowering blood pressure
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Lowering LDL (“bad cholesterol”)
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Lowering inflammation
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Lower risk of heart failure
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Improved function of the lining of blood vessels, called the endothelium
These medications have also been shown to slow chronic kidney disease and reduce the risk of kidney failure. In total, studies have shown that GLP-1 RA medications can lower your risk of a future major cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke by up to 20%.
Related reading: Who’s at Risk for Heart Disease?
SGLT2 inhibitors: Jardiance, Farxiga, and others.
Medications like Jardiance and Farxiga, known as SGLT2 inhibitors, are used to treat type 2 diabetes. They prevent sugars from bring reabsorbed by the kidneys so more of them leave the body in the urine. They’ve been shown to help manage diabetes and can help people lose weight too.
SGLT2 inhibitors have also been shown to help everyone reduce cardiovascular risk, especially people with type 2 diabetes and high risk for cardiovascular disease.
They can also help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. Most importantly, SGLT2 inhibitors have been a cornerstone therapy in the treatment of patients suffering from heart failure. The medication improves patients’ symptoms and lowers the need for people to be hospitalized for heart failure.
Related reading: Managing Type 2 Diabetes: How Diabetes Education Can Help You Live a Longer, Healthier Life.
PCSK9 inhibitors: Repatha, Praluent, and others.
Statins, like Lipitor, Zocor, and others, are a popular effective way to lower LDL. For some patients, especially those at high risk, statins alone aren’t enough to reduce their risk as much as we’d like. For them, and for patients who are unable to take statins, PCSK9 inhibitors can be an effective alternative.
PCSK9 inhibitors, sold under the brand names Repatha and Praluent, can help lower your LDL cholesterol. They work by preventing the breakdown of LDL receptors, which leads to more LDL being cleared from the bloodstream.
Having too much LDL can be part of why plaque builds up in the arteries. Over time, plaque can narrow or harden blood vessels (known as arteriosclerosis), leading to a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular diseases.
Related reading: Why Are Women Less Likely to Take Statins?
Talk with your doctor about these new medications.
With the right medications—and lifestyle changes like eating right, getting exercise, and quitting smoking—we can really make a dent in your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Talk with your doctor to find out if you qualify for medications that can help.
In fact, studies have shown that when taken together, making healthy changes and getting on the right medications can lower your risk as much as 80%. With more options than ever, there’s no better time to start reducing your risk than today.
