For people with clogged arteries who are already on cholesterol drugs, adding a medicine called evolocumab helps lower their risk of heart problems — and it works pretty well even for those who've had a stroke before, though the benefit might be a bit smaller for them.

74

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

74

Community contributions welcome

74

Stroke Prevention With the PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin-Kexin Type 9) Inhibitor Evolocumab Added to Statin in High-Risk Patients With Stable Atherosclerosis

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2020 May

The study shows that adding evolocumab to statins helps reduce heart and blood vessel problems in high-risk patients, including those who've had a stroke before, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Stroke Prevention With the PCSK9 (Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin-Kexin Type 9) Inhibitor Evolocumab Added to Statin in High-Risk Patients With Stable Atherosclerosis

Score: 74

DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.027759

Similar Assertions

For people with heart disease who are already taking cholesterol-lowering statins but still have high LDL, adding a drug called evolocumab can lower their chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart problems by about 15% over two years.

74

0

90%

Even if your cholesterol is already pretty low thanks to statins, adding a drug called evolocumab can still help protect your heart and blood vessels.

74

0

90%

Adding a drug called evolocumab to cholesterol-lowering statins can lower the chances of serious heart problems by 20% in people who already have heart disease.

79

0

89%

For people with hardened arteries who are on cholesterol-lowering drugs, adding a drug called evolocumab doesn’t seem to raise their risk of bleeding in the brain.

74

0

88%

For people with serious heart disease who are already taking cholesterol-lowering pills, adding one of two special drugs (evolocumab or alirocumab) can lower their chances of having a major heart problem—like a heart attack—by about 15% over a few years.

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87%