Cumulative LDL Exposure and Cardiovascular Risk

Lifetime burden of LDL was associated with coronary heart disease but not stroke or heart failure.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is strongly related to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To evaluate the effect of cumulative long-term exposure to LDL on CVD risk, investigators analyzed data from 18,288 participants (mean age, 56 years; 56% women) enrolled in 4 U.S. prospective cohort studies (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, and Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Using data from 1971 to 2017, researchers calculated a cumulative LDL exposure, a time-weighted average LDL exposure, and the slope of the LDL change from age 18 to age 60. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for CVD risk fact…

Reviewing Author

Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD, FACC

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBoehringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Novartis; Lilly; Amarin

Speaker’s BureauBoehringer Ingelheim

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsCirculation (Associate Editor)