title: [Hypocholesterolemias: causes and diagnosis].
abstract: Most of the hypocholesterolemias in adults and children are presented and the non-cardiovascular risk of low serum cholesterol (cancer, depressive illness.) is discussed. A good assessment of hypocholesterolemia is provided by usual laboratory lipid tests (total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteins B and A1) and completed by lipid assays of parents in case of familial diseases. The diagnosis of secondary hypocholesterolemias is easy in well-known causes (liver diseases, hyperthyroidism, digestive malabsorption) but less obvious in other cases (fever, traumatism, inflammatory disease); nevertheless, it is necessary to avoid expensive laboratory investigations which will be reserved for severe familial hypocholesterolemias (in order to improve the treatment and the knowledge of these rare diseases); however diagnosis fails in some well-tolerated familial cases.
authors.affiliation: UF lipides-dyslipidémies, Laboratoire de biologie, Hôpital neurologique, 59, boulevard Pinel, 69003 Lyon.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sassolas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cartier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol