The American journal of medicine
-
Alcohol is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Although alcohol abstinence is the crucial therapeutic goal for patients with alcoholic liver disease, these patients have less access to psychosocial, behavioral, and/or pharmacologic treatments for alcohol use disorder. ⋯ In addition to medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for alcohol use disorder (disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate), recent efforts to identify potential new treatments have yielded promising candidate pharmacotherapies. Finally, more efforts are needed to integrate treatments across disciplines toward patient-centered approaches in the management of patients with alcohol use disorder and alcoholic liver disease.
-
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors serve as a valuable addition to the armamentarium of lipid-lowering agents and have promising potential. By inhibiting the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 enzyme, this novel molecule leads to increased low-density lipoprotein receptor density and decreased circulation of low-density lipoprotein. The fact the agent is a monoclonal antibody has led to limited drug interactions and minimized adverse drug events. It is critical for all providers to have a basic understanding of these novel therapies with their introduction and use for treatment.