Cholesterol study points to new drugs

Insight into how our bodies make cholesterol could lead to treatments with fewer side-effects than existing drugs.

Findings by Edinburgh scientists could pave the way for alternatives to commonly prescribed treatments, known as statins. These lower harmful cholesterol levels, but can cause liver and muscle damage.

High levels of cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease but, because cholesterol is vital to ensure the body's normal function, managing levels in the blood can be difficult.

This new study suggests a more effective approach, through a natural process

Statins curb cholesterol production - a complex series of chemical reactions that take place in the liver - by blocking production at one specific point in the process.

However, this stops the entire process and prevents the production of other molecules along the way, which have a role in making cell membranes, hormones and vitamin D.