Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of global mortality. Among the many risk factors for cardiovascular disease, it's long been known that high cholesterol increases the risk for heart attacks and stroke. In today's episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan discuss two new papers that challenge commonly held beliefs about the way in which cholesterol increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. They finish by talking about a new type of genetic medicine to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Papers discussed

Alternating high-fat diet enhances atherosclerosis by neutrophil reprogramming, Lavillegrand et al 2024 Nature

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07693-6

Early intermittent hyperlipidaemia alters tissue macrophages to fuel atherosclerosis, Takaoka et al 2024 Nature

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07993-x

Zodasiran, an RNAi Therapeutic Targeting ANGPTL3, for Mixed Hyperlipidemia, Rosenson et al 2024 NEJM

http://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2404147

Plozasiran, an RNA Interference Agent Targeting APOC3, for Mixed Hyperlipidemia, Ballantyne et al 2024 NEJM

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2404143