Emerging Cholesterol Modulators for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Experimental and clinical studies have conclusively demonstrated that lowering elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels results in fewer major adverse cardiac events. Over the past few decades, statins have become the mainstay of lipid-lowering therapy, contributing significantly to the reduction of lipids, and providing patients with a cost-effective approach. However, with growing evidence in support of combination therapies providing increased benefits to certain patient populations, such as those intolerant to statins, there is an urgent need to investigate the safety and efficacy of alternative lipid-lowering drugs. In this paper, we review the current alternative and adjuvant cholesterol targeting agents. We further discuss the clinical trials that have evaluated the safety and efficacy of these alternative and adjuvant therapies as well as their implications for practical use. These drugs target levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or lipoprotein(a) as treatments for hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.