Many survivors of heart attacks or strokes remain uncertain about the risks associated with "bad cholesterol" or their LDL levels.
According to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA), a majority (70%) of heart attack and stroke survivors are unaware that LDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as "bad cholesterol." Additionally, just under half of these survivors do not know their LDL levels, despite this being a significant risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
Conducted in May and comprising 3,000 U.S. heart disease patients, the survey also revealed that 75% of heart attack and stroke survivors reported high cholesterol.
Amgen, which markets blockbuster and next-gen cholesterol treatment Repatha, has picked up the results and is sponsoring a new AHA-backed initiative: "Lower Your LDL Cholesterol Now."
This campaign is encouraging people to ask their doctor to check their cholesterol levels. It comes with a new website, run by the AHA, which takes a medical view of LDL, its risks and what patients can do to help reduce those risks.
There is no mention of Repatha, although Amgen’s logo is used at the bottom of the site to show its sponsorship. Amgen likely hopes that increased diagnosis of "bad cholesterol" will lead to greater use of its drug, potentially boosting its revenue, which reached $1.3 billion in 2022.
“What's eye-opening about these survey results is that nearly half of those who have suffered a heart attack or stroke don’t know their LDL cholesterol levels, which is a vital step in helping to prevent a second heart attack or stroke,” said Paul Burton, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer at Amgen, in a press release.
“Amgen is committed to working with other health care leaders, like the American Heart Association, to empower people to know more and do more about their cardiovascular disease. For patients, this starts with talking to your doctor about your LDL cholesterol number and appropriate steps for testing and treatment.”