Dr Iqbal Malik, Medical Director of OneWelbeck Heart Health outlines the new service we are offering which will help patients lower 'bad' Cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, to help prevent cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack, unstable angina or stroke.
As Medical Director of OneWelbeck Heart Health, I am pleased to announce that we are about to launch a new service.
Inclisiran is a novel drug that is supported by NHS England for the treatment of a high cholesterol. Please see my previous blog post about cholesterol and other lipid-lowering drugs.
Given that it seems very hard to access via the NHS at present, with few NHS GPs being able to offer it, we at OneWelbeck Heart Health have worked hard to now be able to offer this privately.
At OneWelbeck we can:
Of course, this is a long-term plan, and if it is doing what it needs to (i.e. lowering your LDL cholesterol) then it should be continued, either with us at OneWelbeck or with an NHS provider, if you are able at that stage to find one in your area that will continue it.
Inclisiran is in a completely new class of medicines known as gene silencing drugs. It turns off, or ‘silences’, the gene PCSK9. This boosts the liver’s ability to remove harmful cholesterol from the blood. PCSK9 is an important enzyme in cholesterol metabolism, and PCSK9 inhibitors have been used for some time- but those drugs need to be given every fortnight.
Statins work in a different way to reduce the amount of harmful cholesterol produced by the liver – by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol.
While statins are taken daily as tablets, Inclisiran will be given as an injection under the skin. After an initial dose, the drug will be given again after three months, and then twice a year.
Inclisiran use in the NHS will be available if you have:
We aim to provide you with counseling on the pros and cons before we initiate the drug at OneWelbeck Heart Health.
We are based in Central London, situated near Bond Street tube station, and can answer any questions or enquiries related to this subject.
For more information please contact the OneWelbeck Heart Health team either by calling 020 3653 2005, emailing bookings.hearthealth@onewelbeck.com or selecting the contact us button below.
Dr Iqbal Malik is a consultant cardiologist, specialising in coronary artery disease and structural heart disease including PFO, ASD and the TAVI procedure.
