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Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9): A Promising Therapeutic Target for Cardiovascular Diseases

Weiming Xu

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major diseases which causing premature death in the world. It has been estimated that over 23.3 million people globally will die annually from CVD by 2030. There are two types of cholesterol-protein carriers in the plasma: the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The former is referred as bad cholesterol and the latter as good cholesterol. The 3- hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, also known as statins, are the most effective class of drugs for lowering serum LDL cholesterol. It is now most widely prescribed medicine to treat cardiovascular disease with high level of LDL-cholesterol worldwide. However, there are some known side effects such as muscle pain in taking statins in some people and some even cannot tolerate it.