In this week's episode of the Metabolic Classroom, Dr. Ben Bikman welcomes viewers to a discussion on commonly used cardiometabolic and weight loss drugs. The focus of this particular lecture is on drugs targeting heart disease, a leading cause of mortality globally. Dr. Bikman acknowledges the controversy surrounding cardiovascular drugs due to the severity of heart disease and the passionate advocacy for drug therapies.
The lecture begins with an overview of two main categories of cardiovascular drugs: those addressing blood pressure and those targeting cholesterol levels. Dr. Bikman explains the significance of blood pressure in cardiovascular health, emphasizing its correlation with heart attacks and hypertension. He delves into the physiological effects of high blood pressure, likening it to over-inflating a balloon and causing stress and damage to the inner lining of blood vessels.
Moving on to drugs that control blood pressure, Dr. Bikman highlights the potential impact on insulin resistance and mitochondrial function, crucial factors in heart disease risk. He discusses common classes of antihypertensive drugs such as beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics, detailing their mechanisms and side effects.
Transitioning to cholesterol-lowering drugs, Dr. Bikman discusses the controversy surrounding the assumption that cholesterol is solely responsible for heart disease. He challenges the oversimplified view of LDL cholesterol's role in plaque formation and suggests alternative paradigms, including the immune response to infections in blood vessels.
Dr. Bikman then discusses two classes of anti-cholesterol medications: PCSK9 inhibitors and statins. He explains how PCSK9 inhibitors increase LDL receptor expression to enhance LDL clearance and discusses potential side effects such as worsened insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, he explores the mechanism of statins in reducing cholesterol production and addresses controversies surrounding their use, including potential risks of developing type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
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