Tribute to Akira Endo, Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

HEART UK are sad to hear of the death of Akira Endo, Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, at the age of 90. His discovery of the cholesterol-lowering properties of the first statin in 1976 “changed the world” according to Brown and Goldstein and revolutionised the management of hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Statins are now taken by millions of people and have saved innumerable lives all over the world.

Endo was a modest man with a quiet sense of humour and remained so despite receiving numerous awards, including the Lasker Award and the Gairdner Award but, unaccountably not the Nobel Prize many think he deserved. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

Image Akira Endo receiving the Lasker award from Joe Goldstein in 2008