Bad cholesterol can seriously affect your health and sometimes lead to heart attacks and strokes, which can be fatal.
Scientists introduce a new groundbreaking method to reduce bad cholesterol. The first results show a large drop in cholesterol levels without the typical side effects of standard medications.
Side effects of bad cholesterol:
Bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein, LDL is a waxy substance that transports cholesterol into the cells, causing excess levels to build up in the artery walls, restricting blood flow and dramatically increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
A new DNA-based treatment blocks a key protein that keeps bad cholesterol high, allowing the body to clear it more effectively.
High levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream can lead to hypercholesterolemia, a condition that damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease. Therefore, the new treatment promises to reduce bad cholesterol by almost 50%, which could contribute to major relief for doctors.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona and the University of Oregon have developed a promising new approach to controlling cholesterol levels, offering a potential new way to combat atherosclerosis, which occurs when fatty plaques build up in the artery walls.
Treatment for Bad Cholesterol:
Researchers have developed small, DNA-based molecules that disable PCSK9 – a key protein that keeps ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood.
Blocking this protein allows cells to absorb more cholesterol instead of letting it build up in the arteries, dramatically lowering levels linked to heart disease.
The research team focused on a new type of protein that plays a central role in regulating levels of low-density LDL lipoprotein cholesterol, often called “bad” cholesterol.
They designed a method to block the production of this protein using specialized DNA-based molecules known as ‘polypurine hairpins PPRH’.
By suppressing PCSK9, the treatment helps cells absorb more cholesterol, reducing the amount circulating in the blood and limiting its buildup in the arteries.
The researchers tested the therapy in laboratory-grown liver cells and in transgenic mice that carry the human gene.
The findings were originally published in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology.
If confirmed in further studies, this new strategy could provide a safer and more targeted way to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and change the way high cholesterol is treated, providing a powerful alternative to traditional medications.
