New pill could lower bad cholesterol as Louisiana faces higher-than-average rates

[00:00:00]Louisiana, a lot of people have high cholesterol. Now, the good news is the FDA just approved the new drug Livalo to lower it.

[00:00:07]>> Together with exercise, studies by the manufacturer Merck showed patients had a nearly 60% drop. For some, that's more effective than the popular statins out there. And until now, it was only available as an injectable, and Meg Farris has more.

[00:00:22]>> With a new cholesterol medication just hitting the market that works differently than statins, we decided to come down to the French Quarter, stop people, and ask them, do you know your cholesterol number? Do you know the difference in good and bad cholesterol?

[00:00:37]And why does it matter? And here's what we found.

[00:00:42]There were people who had no clue about their number, people who knew only the total, [music] and people who knew partial information.

[00:00:51]>> They said mine my good is better than the bad, so it's I don't know what it means really, but they said it was a good thing.

[00:00:58]>> [laughter] >> We want to stay healthy and you know, as long as we can, as especially as we're aging.

[00:01:07]>> [laughter] >> And then there was our star pupil, Carlton, from New York, who turned his lifestyle and health around.

[00:01:14]>> I check my blood pressure, cholesterol every day. It's good for people of African-American to keep their to keep us going. We are prone to high blood pressure, diabetes in in our society, so to keep a good cholesterol level helps us live longer.

[00:01:33]>> We have a lot of data over many years showing that lower the LDL, the less chance of cardiovascular events, including stroke and heart attack.

[00:01:43]>> LCMC Health cardiologist, Dr. Frank Wilchlow, says the LDL, or bad cholesterol, lays down the plaque that clogs our arteries and leads to strokes, dementia, heart attacks, and kidney disease. The HDL, or good cholesterol mops up the bad cholesterol. Statin pills are most commonly used, but a decade ago, these new injections called PCSK9 inhibitors started giving great results.

[00:02:12]>> So, since they've come out, they've you know, we're it had a dramatic effect on coronary artery disease, um stroke, TIA, and liver and kidney disease. All of those things it's had a dramatic effect on.

[00:02:25]>> And now, brand new on the market is a PCSK9 inhibitor in pill form, Lip Fenor, that is just as effective as the injection form.

[00:02:35]>> I tell them, "Look, I put in stents for a living. I think that this class of medication is going to, you know, uh put us out of business. I think there'll be less stents and less bypass 10 years from now because this medication works so well."

[00:02:50]>> So, know your number and know that along with diet and exercise, there is something that can help. Meg Farris, WWL, Louisiana.

[00:03:00]>> Well, since the FDA just approved the drug, it might not be covered by your health insurance just yet. You can also check for manufacturer's coupons or on the government's discount site.