Cleveland study finds single-dose treatment could cut cholesterol in half

An experimental drug has the potential to cut cholesterol levels in half in a single dose, according to a new study by the Cleveland Clinic.

The November 8 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 15 patients who received a one-time injection modifying DNA in their liver saw the cholesterol and fat levels in their bloodstream reduced by half. The patients experienced only minor side effects including nausea, back pain and temporarily elevated kidney enzymes, according to the study.

The study offers promise for future treatment in patients, preventing heart attacks and strokes, study author Steven Nissen, chief academic officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, said.

“I spent several decades working every year in the coronary