Promising drug could provide alternative to statins for those at risk of heart disease, new study finds

A new study has found that a drug could replace statins for those who cannot tolerate them, a promising finding for millions of people who are at risk of heart disease.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine Saturday, found that in patients with increased cardiovascular risk, bempedoic acid was found to decrease heart-related complications, such as heart attacks, or the need for procedures like a bypass operation or a stent placement.

"I take care of these patients," cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who led the study, told CBS News. "They say, 'Dr. Nissen, I know I need to lower my cholesterol. I've tried all these different statins. My muscles hurt. I can't take those drugs.'"