Researchers have developed the world’s first oral drug to target a form of cholesterol that has previously been untreatable and is largely caused by genetics, making it difficult to control by way of exercise, diet or other lifestyle factors.

Studies have shown that high levels of lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a), pronounced “L-P-little-A”, increase the likelihood of heart attack or stroke, particularly with familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited condition characterized by high cholesterol. Lp(a) is a type of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, otherwise known as ‘bad cholesterol,’ but it’s stickier, increasing the risk of blockages and blood clots (atherosclerosis) forming in the arteries.

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Commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins don’t have the same effect on Lp(a), and because it’s largely caused by genetics, Lp(a) is also difficult to control through diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. There are no approved medications currently available that target Lp(a).

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