Taking a drug called evolocumab can lower the chance of having a first major heart problem by 25% in people at high risk who’ve never had a heart attack or stroke before.

Taking certain cholesterol drugs called evolocumab or alirocumab might lower the chance of having a stroke, whether you've already had heart problems or not.

For people with heart disease who are already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs but still have high bad cholesterol, adding a drug called evolocumab can cut their risk of heart attack, stroke, or dying from heart problems by 20% over about two years.

Taking a cholesterol drug called evolocumab to get really low LDL levels doesn’t seem to cause serious side effects like memory problems, diabetes, cataracts, or brain bleeds over 3 years, according to a major study.

These cholesterol drugs can cut bad cholesterol by half and help prevent heart attacks in people with heart disease, and they’re about as safe as a dummy shot—though some might get a little redness where they’re injected.

For people with heart disease who are on cholesterol-lowering drugs, adding a drug called evolocumab doesn’t raise their risk of serious side effects like diabetes or memory problems — the only real downside is a slightly higher chance of soreness at the injection site.