Bad cholesterol lowering injection now available in UK
In what could be a ground breaking technology, to reduce bad cholesterol a medicine has been made available in the form of injection. It has been named Inclisiran.
This injection has to be taken twice a year. It was started by the UK health agency NHS on Wednesday. Experts are calling it ‘game changing’ treatment.
Bad cholesterol will decrease by up to 50 percent
Simply put, cholesterol is a fatty, sticky substance that collects in the blood vessels. Gradually, it accumulates and causes heart attack, stroke and damage to the arteries. It is also called LDL cholesterol in scientific language.
According to the report, patients will have to get this injection every 6 months and they will get relief from taking cholesterol medicine. After getting the new injection, the cholesterol will decrease by 50 percent in the patients.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said, this is a life saving treatment that will prevent the progression of heart diseases. This cholesterol medication is more effective than statins. It can also be applied to those who cannot take the medicine due to some reason.
How injection works
This medication helps the liver remove cholesterol from the blood by blocking a protein called PCSK9. Due to the PCSK9 protein, the body’s organs are unable to remove cholesterol. The new drug blocks this protein. As the cholesterol level decreases, the risk of disease will also decrease.
First 3 lakh patients will get injection
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has allowed only 3 lakh patients for this injection in the initial phase. These include patients who have very high cholesterol levels, are suffering from heart diseases or have suffered from heart attack or stroke.
Experts claim that the new injection can save 30,000 lives. In the next decade, 55,000 heart attacks and strokes can be prevented.
Why was this injection needed in the UK?
According to UK government statistics, two out of every 5 adults here have high cholesterol levels. It is the leading cause of heart disease and is responsible for one out of every 4 deaths in England.
About 80 people in the UK are using statins to lower cholesterol. Some of them also have to go through its side effects such as headache.
How much will you get the injection
The cost of one injection is around Rs 2 lakh. Since patients have to get it done twice a year, they will have to pay around Rs 4 lakh annually.
