A drug called Evolocumab helps lower the chance of serious heart problems like heart attacks and strokes in people at high risk — and it seems to work pretty well over about 8 months.

For people at high risk for heart problems because of diabetes or clogged arteries, taking a drug called evolocumab every two weeks can lower their chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or needing heart surgery by about 1 in 5 over nearly 5 years, compared to those who don’t take it.

For people with diabetes or clogged arteries who haven’t had a heart attack or stroke yet, taking a drug called evolocumab every two weeks can lower their chance of having a first heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death by about 25% over nearly 5 years.

Taking a drug called evolocumab every two weeks is just as safe as taking a fake pill (placebo) for people with certain heart risks — there’s no real difference in side effects after nearly 5 years.

A drug called alirocumab may help prevent serious heart problems and even lower the chance of dying from heart disease in people at high risk — but we’re still not totally sure about the life-extending effects because the data is limited.

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.