Researchers say that a promising approach to attack the buildup of plaque in arteries by blocking an enzyme that plays a key role in the process actually may prove to increase dangers of heart disease for patients. A new report in the New England Journal of Medicine says that pactimibe not only failed to affect plaque buildup, it may have increased the rate of artherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The Cleveland Clinic's Steve Nissen heralded the public review of the negative data, saying it represented a new era for getting results into the public arena. Pactimibe is an ACAT inhibitor. Researchers hoped that it would block the enzyme from steering cholesterol into arterial plaque.
- here's the Forbes report