New Delhi, May 10 : An international team of researchers found that a cholesterol-lowering drug may offer a more effective and convenient way to protect people at high risk of heart attack and stroke.

The study led by researchers at Monash University in Australia tested a once-daily oral medication called Obicetrapib and found it significantly lowered both LDL or bad cholesterol and lipoprotein(a), -- two key contributors to cardiovascular disease.

The findings marked an important step forward for patients who have struggled to reach their cholesterol targets with current therapies, said study lead Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of Monash University's Victorian Heart Institute.

"We know that many people at high risk of heart attack or stroke don't get their cholesterol levels low enough, even on the best available treatments," Nicholls said.

"Obicetrapib offers a promising new option-not only did it lower LDL cholesterol by over 30 per cent, but we also saw a reduction in Lp(a), which is much harder to treat and has been linked to increased heart disease risk," he added.

LDL cholesterol, often referred to as "bad cholesterol," builds up in blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a lesser-known but inherited risk factor that can also accelerate artery damage -- and unlike LDL, there are currently no widely approved treatments to lower it.

The trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, included more than 2,500 participants with established heart disease or genetic high cholesterol who were given either Obicetrapib or a placebo, in addition to their regular cholesterol medications.

After 12 weeks, those on Obicetrapib had dropped their LDL cholesterol by 32.6 per cent and Lp(a) by 33.5 per cent on average -- many achieved guideline-recommended targets for the first time.

Obicetrapib was also well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to earlier trials.

"This could be a valuable tool in the fight against heart disease," Professor Nicholls said. "It's convenient, it's effective, and it may help close the gap for patients who've run out of options."

/IANS