Use of CGRP receptor antagonists in neuroprotection and neurological disorders

A method of reducing LDL in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising:

• administering to the patient in need thereof an effective amount of a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• wherein the CGRP receptor antagonist is a peptide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof comprising a structure of Formula I:
• X1—Y1—Z1 (I)
• wherein:
• X1 is a modified N-terminal fragment of CGRP comprising from five to seven amino acid residues, wherein only two amino acid residues of the modified N-terminal fragment are cysteine (Cys), wherein the residue at the C-terminal end of the fragment is Cys, and wherein the residue immediately preceding the C-terminal Cys residue of the fragment is a non-threonine substitution of the threonine (Thr) residue of position 6 of human CGRP;
• Y1 is a central core region of CGRP wherein at least one amino acid of the central core is arginine (Arg) or lysine (Lys) and the central core region of CGRP comprises an α-helix;
• and
• Z1 is a modified C-terminal fragment of CGRP comprising from five to seven amino acid residues with a C-terminal amide, where at least one amino acid of the modified C-terminal fragment is phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), proline (Pro) or hydroxyproline (Hyp).