TeachableMedicalNews article 10312021
Teachable moment in classrooms:
- chemical basis of life chapter – cholesterol is a steroid type lipid
- cellular basis of life chapter – cholesterol is needed to stabilize plasma membranes of our cells
- digestive system chapter – liver synthesizes cholesterol
- cardiovascular system chapter – coronary artery disease starts with cholesterol buildup in the arteries
The news item: Recently a report appeared about lowering our blood cholesterol level:
FDA approves drug that lowers cholesterol in a new way
Nexletol was approved for people genetically predisposed to have sky-high cholesterol and people who have heart disease and need to further lower their bad cholesterol.
The article stated that high LDL levels are connected with risk of heart attacks, and that this new drug blocks the cholesterol making enzyme in the liver. This new drug, Nexletol, acts differently from the statin drugs that also lower blood cholesterol.
So, Why Do I Care?? In the USA over 1 million people die yearly from heart attacks and strokes, and those deaths are at least partially caused by high blood cholesterol causing blockage inside the blood vessels. While there are life style modifications and drugs we can use to lower blood cholesterol, new pharmaceuticals may increase the success of lowering blood cholesterol.
Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what cholesterol is and how it causes cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol is an organic molecule classified as a steroid type lipid. Cholesterol makes cell membranes sturdy, so all cells need it, and cholesterol transporting trucks, called LDL (low density