title: Can LDL cholesterol be too low? Possible risks of extremely low levels.
abstract: Following the continuous accumulation of evidence supporting the beneficial role of reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its complications, therapeutic possibilities now exist to lower LDL-C to very low levels, similar to or even lower than those seen in newborns and nonhuman species. In addition to the important task of evaluating potential side effects of such treatments, the question arises whether extremely low LDL-C levels per se may provoke adverse effects in humans. In this review, we summarize information from studies of human cellular and organ physiology, phenotypic characterization of rare genetic diseases of lipid metabolism, and experience from clinical trials. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of the robustness of the regulatory systems that maintain balanced fluxes and levels of cholesterol at both cellular and organismal levels. Even at extremely low LDL-C levels, critical capacities of steroid hormone and bile acid production are preserved, and the presence of a cholesterol blood-brain barrier protects cells in the central nervous system. Apparent relationships sometimes reported between less pronounced low LDL-C levels and disease states such as cancer, depression, infectious disease and others can generally be explained as secondary phenomena. Drug-related side effects including an increased propensity for development of type 2 diabetes occur during statin treatment, whilst further evaluation of more potent LDL-lowering treatments such as PCSK9 inhibitors is needed. Experience from the recently reported and ongoing large event-driven trials are of great interest, and further evaluation including careful analysis of cognitive functions will be important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: Metabolism Unit, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, and KI/AZ Integrated CardioMetabolic Center, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angelin
authors.affiliation: University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assmann
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna & Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Björkhem
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cedazo-Minguez
authors.affiliation: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Eckardstein
authors.affiliation: University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farinaro
authors.affiliation: Klinik II und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin der Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Müller-Wieland
authors.affiliation: Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Parhofer
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parini
authors.affiliation: The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rosenson
authors.affiliation: University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Starup-Linde
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tikkanen
authors.affiliation: University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yvan-Charvet
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D055633:Immune System Phenomena; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D000071449:Proprotein Convertase 9 / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C472125:PCSK9 protein, human; D000071449:Proprotein Convertase 9
keywords: abetalipoproteinaemia; adverse effects; hypocholesterolaemia; low-density lipoprotein; safety