By Leslie Cotto, MD
Is an injectable cholesterol-lowering medication known as a PCSK9 inhibitor. It is used to significantly lower LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol,” by helping the liver remove it from the bloodstream. This will reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in appropriate patients.
This is particularly important for patients with diabetes, because diabetes itself substantially increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when blood sugar is well controlled, patients with diabetes may remain at increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and other complications related to atherosclerosis.
For patients with diabetes who have persistently elevated LDL cholesterol despite appropriate treatment with statins, who require more aggressive LDL lowering because of their cardiovascular risk, or who cannot tolerate adequate statin therapy, Repatha may be an important treatment option.