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Kosmas CE, Bousvarou MD, Papakonstantinou EJ, Tsamoulis D, Koulopoulos A, Echavarria Uceta R, Guzman E, Rallidis LS. Novel Pharmacological Therapies for the Management of Hyperlipoproteinemia(a). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13622. [PMID: 37686428 PMCID: PMC10487774 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, predisposing to major cardiovascular events, including coronary heart disease, stroke, aortic valve calcification and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Lp(a) is differentiated from other lipoprotein molecules through apolipoprotein(a), which possesses atherogenic and antithrombolytic properties attributed to its structure. Lp(a) levels are mostly genetically predetermined and influenced by the size of LPA gene variants, with smaller isoforms resulting in a greater synthesis rate of apo(a) and, ultimately, elevated Lp(a) levels. As a result, serum Lp(a) levels may highly vary from extremely low to extremely high. Hyperlipoproteinemia(a) is defined as Lp(a) levels > 30 mg/dL in the US and >50 mg/dL in Europe. Because of its association with CVD, Lp(a) levels should be measured at least once a lifetime in adults. The ultimate goal is to identify individuals with increased risk of CVD and intervene accordingly. Traditional pharmacological interventions like niacin, statins, ezetimibe, aspirin, PCSK-9 inhibitors, mipomersen, estrogens and CETP inhibitors have not yet yielded satisfactory results. The mean Lp(a) reduction, if any, is barely 50% for all agents, with statins increasing Lp(a) levels, whereas a reduction of 80-90% appears to be required to achieve a significant decrease in major cardiovascular events. Novel RNA-interfering agents that specifically target hepatocytes are aimed in this direction. Pelacarsen is an antisense oligonucleotide, while olpasiran, LY3819469 and SLN360 are small interfering RNAs, all conjugated with a N-acetylgalactosamine molecule. Their ultimate objective is to genetically silence LPA, reduce apo(a) production and lower serum Lp(a) levels. Evidence thus so far demonstrates that monthly subcutaneous administration of a single dose yields optimal results with persisting substantial reductions in Lp(a) levels, potentially enhancing CVD risk reduction. The Lp(a) reduction achieved with novel RNA agents may exceed 95%. The results of ongoing and future clinical trials are eagerly anticipated, and it is hoped that guidelines for the tailored management of Lp(a) levels with these novel agents may not be far off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine E. Kosmas
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY 10033, USA;
| | - Maria D. Bousvarou
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, 710 03 Heraklion, Greece; (M.D.B.); (A.K.)
| | | | - Donatos Tsamoulis
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Thriasio General Hospital of Eleusis, 196 00 Athens, Greece;
| | - Andreas Koulopoulos
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, 710 03 Heraklion, Greece; (M.D.B.); (A.K.)
| | | | - Eliscer Guzman
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA;
- Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY 10033, USA;
| | - Loukianos S. Rallidis
- 2nd Department of Cardiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital ATTIKON, 124 62 Athens, Greece;
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Kosmas CE, Bousvarou MD, Kostara CE, Papakonstantinou EJ, Salamou E, Guzman E. Insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. J Int Med Res 2023; 51:3000605231164548. [PMID: 36994866 PMCID: PMC10069006 DOI: 10.1177/03000605231164548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Insulin resistance (IR) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) represent two universal public health hazards, especially in today's Western societies. A causal-effect relationship has been established that links IR with CVD. The mediating mechanisms are perplexing, under ongoing, rigorous investigation and remain to be fully elucidated. IR is a condition encompassing hyperglycemia and compensatory hyperinsulinemia. It occurs when insulin is not capable of exerting its maximum effects on target tissues, including skeletal muscles, liver and adipose tissue. This alteration of insulin signaling pathways results in the development of cardiometabolic disorders, including obesity, dyslipidemia, low-grade inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, all of which are predisposing factors for atherosclerosis and CVD. The management of IR can be achieved through dietary modifications, the inclusion of regular exercise routines in everyday life, pharmacological agents and other interventions tailored to each individual patient's needs. It is important to underline though that, although various antidiabetic drugs that may improve IR are available, no medications are as yet specifically approved for the treatment of IR. This narrative review will focus on the current scientific and clinical evidence pertaining to IR, the mechanisms connecting IR with CVD, as well as plausible strategies for a holistic, personalized approach for IR management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine E Kosmas
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Christina E Kostara
- Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, Medical Department, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | | | | | - Eliscer Guzman
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
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Kosmas CE, Bousvarou MD, Sourlas A, Papakonstantinou EJ, Peña Genao E, Echavarria Uceta R, Guzman E. Angiopoietin-Like Protein 3 (ANGPTL3) Inhibitors in the Management of Refractory Hypercholesterolemia. Clin Pharmacol 2022; 14:49-59. [PMID: 35873366 PMCID: PMC9300746 DOI: 10.2147/cpaa.s345072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in a global scale and significantly depends on the elevated plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the subsequent formation of atherosclerotic plaques. While physicians have several LDL-C-lowering agents with diverse mechanisms of action, including statins, ezetimibe, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors and inclisiran, angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) inhibitors have recently emerged as a powerful addition in the armamentarium of lipid-lowering strategies, especially for patients with refractory hypercholesterolemia, as in the case of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). ANGPTL3 protein is a glycoprotein secreted by liver cells that is implicated in the metabolism of lipids along with other ANGPTL proteins. These proteins inhibit lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and endothelial lipase (EL) in tissues. Loss-of-function mutations affecting the gene encoding ANGPTL3 are linked with lower total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglyceride (TG) levels. Evinacumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets, binds to, and pharmacologically inhibits ANGPTL3, which was recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a complementary agent to other LDL-C lowering regimens for patients aged 12 or older with HoFH, based on clinical trial evidence that confirmed its safety and efficacy in those patients. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) also represent an interesting class of agents that target and inhibit the mRNA derived from the transcription of ANGPTL3 gene. This review aims to present and discuss the current clinical and scientific data pertaining to the role of ANGPTL3 inhibitors, a novel lipid-modifying class of agents capable of reducing LDL-C levels via a mechanism independent of LDL receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine E Kosmas
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY, USA
- Correspondence: Constantine E Kosmas, Email
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eliscer Guzman
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY, USA
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Kosmas CE, Pantou D, Sourlas A, Papakonstantinou EJ, Echavarria Uceta R, Guzman E. New and emerging lipid-modifying drugs to lower LDL cholesterol. Drugs Context 2021; 10:dic-2021-8-3. [PMID: 34795777 PMCID: PMC8565402 DOI: 10.7573/dic.2021-8-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of death worldwide. The role of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and CVD has been well recognized. Statins are the standard of care for the management of hypercholesterolaemia, and their effectiveness in lowering LDL-C and reducing CVD risk in both primary and secondary prevention has been well established. However, several patients fail to attain optimal LDL-C goals or are intolerant to statins, especially at high doses. PCSK9 inhibitors, bempedoic acid, inclisiran, ANGPTL3 inhibitors, PPARβ/δ agonists and LXR agonists are novel or upcoming LDL-C-lowering agents that have shown promising beneficial results. This review aims to present and discuss the current clinical and scientific data pertaining to the new and emerging lipid-modifying LDL-C-lowering drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine E Kosmas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.,Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dafni Pantou
- School of Medicine, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | | | - Eliscer Guzman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.,Cardiology Clinic, Cardiology Unlimited, PC, New York, NY, USA
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Kosmas CE, Skavdis A, Sourlas A, Papakonstantinou EJ, Peña Genao E, Echavarria Uceta R, Guzman E. Safety and Tolerability of PCSK9 Inhibitors: Current Insights. Clin Pharmacol 2020; 12:191-202. [PMID: 33335431 PMCID: PMC7737942 DOI: 10.2147/cpaa.s288831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The current era of preventive cardiology continues to emphasize on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction to alleviate the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In this regard, the pharmacological inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) enzyme via monoclonal antibodies has emerged as a novel lipid-lowering therapy, leading to a marked reduction in circulating LDL-C levels and subsequent improvement of cardiovascular outcomes. As these agents are increasingly used in current clinical practice, mounting scientific and clinical evidence supports that PCSK9 inhibitors offer an excellent safety and tolerability profile with a low incidence of adverse events. Notably, the most frequently reported side effects are injection-site reactions. In contrast to statins, PCSK9 inhibitors do not appear to exert a detrimental effect on glycemic control or to increase the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus. Accumulating evidence also indicates that PCSK9 inhibitors are a safe, well-tolerated and effective therapeutic strategy for patients with statin intolerance. On the other hand, as PCSK9 inhibitors reduce LDL-C to unprecedented low levels, a large body of current research has examined the effects of their long-term administration on neurocognition and on levels of vitamin E and other fat-soluble vitamins, providing encouraging results. This review aims to present and discuss the current clinical and scientific evidence pertaining to the safety and tolerability of PCSK9 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine E Kosmas
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eliscer Guzman
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
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