New Drugs for Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Atherosclerosis, the underlying process that ultimately leads to clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), is caused by the multifactorial interaction of various conditions, and dyslipidemia is widely acknowledged as 1 of the crucial risk factors in this process. Statin drugs have been shown to decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CVD morbidity as well as mortality and are therefore pivotal in CVD prevention. Despite the use of statin drugs, CVD remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, which suggests that additional lipid-lowering therapies are warranted. Several novel therapeutic agents, which are described in this review, are now well on their way in their respective development paths and might revolutionize anti-atherosclerotic drug therapy.