Hypercholesterolemia: Difference between revisions

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'''Hypercholesterolemia''' is "a condition with abnormally high levels of [[cholesterol]] in the blood. It is defined as a cholesterol value exceeding the 95th percentile for the population."<ref name="title">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?term=Hypercholesterolemia |title=Hypercholesterolemia |accessdate=2008-01-18 |author=Anonymous |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |format= |work= |publisher=National Library of Medicine }}</ref> It should be differentiated from [[dyslipidemia]], where the total cholesterol may not be abnormally high, but the ratios of lipid components are in an unhealthy range.
'''Hypercholesterolemia''' is "a condition with abnormally high levels of [[cholesterol]] in the blood. It is defined as a cholesterol value exceeding the 95th percentile for the population."<ref name="title">{{cite web |url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2008/MB_cgi?term=Hypercholesterolemia |title=Hypercholesterolemia |accessdate=2008-01-18 |author=Anonymous |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |format= |work= |publisher=National Library of Medicine }}</ref> It should be differentiated from [[dyslipidemia]], where the total cholesterol may not be abnormally high, but the ratios of lipid components are in an unhealthy range.


Non-HDL cholesterol and [[apolipoprotein]] B levels may best predict subsequent [[cardiovascular disease]].<ref name="pmid22453571">{{cite journal| author=Boekholdt SM, Arsenault BJ, Mora S, Pedersen TR, LaRosa JC, Nestel PJ et al.| title=Association of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels with risk of cardiovascular events among patients treated with statins: a meta-analysis. | journal=JAMA | year= 2012 | volume= 307 | issue= 12 | pages= 1302-9 | pmid=22453571 | doi=10.1001/jama.2012.366 | pmc= | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=22453571  }} </ref>
==Biochemistry==
Non-HDL cholesterol and [[apolipoprotein]] B levels may better predict subsequent [[vascular disease]] thatn LDL-C levels.<ref name="pmid22453571">{{cite journal| author=Boekholdt SM, Arsenault BJ, Mora S, Pedersen TR, LaRosa JC, Nestel PJ et al.| title=Association of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels with risk of cardiovascular events among patients treated with statins: a meta-analysis. | journal=JAMA | year= 2012 | volume= 307 | issue= 12 | pages= 1302-9 | pmid=22453571 | doi=10.1001/jama.2012.366 | pmc= | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=sumsearch.org/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=22453571  }} </ref>According to the Friedewald formula, non-HDL cholesterol is LDL-cholesterol LDL-C and VLDL-C.<ref name="pmid4337382">{{cite journal| author=Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS| title=Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. | journal=Clin Chem | year= 1972 | volume= 18 | issue= 6 | pages= 499-502 | pmid=4337382 | doi= | pmc= | url= }} </ref> If LDL-C levels are used as goals of therapy:<ref name="pmid12485966">{{cite journal| author=National  Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection,  Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult  Treatment Panel III)|  title=Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)  Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood  Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. | journal=Circulation | year= 2002 | volume= 106 | issue= 25 | pages= 3143-421 | pmid=12485966 | doi= | pmc= | url= }} </ref>
 
:"A 'normal' VLDL cholesterol can be defined as that present when triglycerides are <150 mg/dL; this value
typically is ≤30 mg/dL.106 Conversely, when triglyceride levels are >150 mg/dL, VLDL cholesterol usually is >30 mg/dL. Thus, a reasonable goal for non-HDL cholesterol is one that is 30 mg/dL higher than the LDL-cholesterol goal."


==Treatment==
==Treatment==

Revision as of 06:36, 19 April 2012

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Hypercholesterolemia is "a condition with abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is defined as a cholesterol value exceeding the 95th percentile for the population."[1] It should be differentiated from dyslipidemia, where the total cholesterol may not be abnormally high, but the ratios of lipid components are in an unhealthy range.

Biochemistry

Non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels may better predict subsequent vascular disease thatn LDL-C levels.[2]According to the Friedewald formula, non-HDL cholesterol is LDL-cholesterol LDL-C and VLDL-C.[3] If LDL-C levels are used as goals of therapy:[4]

"A 'normal' VLDL cholesterol can be defined as that present when triglycerides are <150 mg/dL; this value

typically is ≤30 mg/dL.106 Conversely, when triglyceride levels are >150 mg/dL, VLDL cholesterol usually is >30 mg/dL. Thus, a reasonable goal for non-HDL cholesterol is one that is 30 mg/dL higher than the LDL-cholesterol goal."

Treatment

Antilipemic agents such include:

Studies of drugs other than statins show other drugs can lower the cholesterol, but without definite benefit on clinical events. Examples include randomized controlled trials of:

It is not clear whether to treat to LDL targets. Studies are currently evaluating this.[17][18]

Clinical practice guidelines

Various clinical practice guidelines have addressed the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Clinical practice guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in 2008 recommend treatment if the estimated 10 year risk of cardiovascular disease is at least 20%.[19][20]

The American College of Physicians in 2004 addressed hypercholesterolemia in patients with diabetes [21]. Their recommendations are:

  • Recommendation 1: Lipid-lowering therapy should be used for secondary prevention of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity for all patients (both men and women) with known coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes.
  • Recommendation 2: Statins should be used for primary prevention against macrovascular complications in patients (both men and women) with type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Recommendation 3: Once lipid-lowering therapy is initiated, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus should be taking at least moderate doses of a statin (the accompanying evidence report states "simvastatin, 40 mg/d; pravastatin, 40 mg/d; lovastatin, 40 mg/d; atorvastatin, 20 mg/d; or an equivalent dose of another statin")[22].
  • Recommendation 4: For those patients with type 2 diabetes who are taking statins, routine monitoring of liver function tests or muscle enzymes is not recommended except in specific circumstances.

The National Cholesterol Education Program revised their 2001 guidelines[23] in 2004 to include goal LDL values.[24]; however, their 2004 revisions have been criticized for use of nonrandomized, observational data.[25] A decision analysis found that treating to targets is not efficient.[26]

Primary prevention

Several meta-analyses summarizing the randomized controlled trials have been published.

Older meta-analyses report similar results:

  • In 2001, a meta-analysis estimated that after 5 to 7 years of treatment with statins, the relative risk reduction of coronary heart disease events is decreased by approximately 30%[32]
  • In 2000, a meta-analysis concluded "treatment with lipid lowering drugs lasting five to seven years reduces coronary heart disease events but not all cause mortality in people with no known cardiovascular disease."[33]

Treating based on risk factors is probably better than treating to a specific target LDL cholesterol.[26] Using a calculator such as the NIH calculator:

Important randomized controlled trials included in the meta-analyses are:

  • AFCAPS/TexCAPS.[34] The 10 year risk of coronary heart disease among an average patient in this study ((age 57, male, non-smoker, total and HDL cholesterol values of 221 mg/dL and 36 mg/dL, respectively, SBP 138 mm/Hg with medications for hypertension) was 12%.
  • JUPITER which found that yreating patients with normal cholesterol level may benefit patients if their high sensitivity c-reactive protein is elevated according to the Jupiter randomized controlled trial.[35] However, the Jupiter trial was stopped early and only 17% of patients were taking aspirin.[35]
Combination treatment

It is not clear that combination therapy is better than high dose hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors.[36]

If treatment with a hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor does not achieve a desirable cholesterol, other drugs that have been studied include eicosapentaenoic acid which is a metabolite of fish oil.[16] Ezetimibe, a cholesterol-absorption inhibitor, was not clearly beneficial in a study of diabetes mellitus type 2[8] and a study of mixed primary prevention and secondary prevention[10]. Niacin has been studied with improvements in the LDL and HDL[11] with uncertain[14] effects on carotid intima-media thickness.

Clinical practice guidelines

Clinical practice guidelines are available to guide screening and management:

  • For primary prevention in diabetes mellitus, the American College of Physicians states:[21][22]
    • Recommendation 2: Statins should be used for primary prevention against macrovascular complications in patients (both men and women) with type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors.
    • Recommendation 3: Once lipid-lowering therapy is initiated, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus should be taking at least moderate doses of a statin (the accompanying evidence report states "simvastatin, 40 mg/d; pravastatin, 40 mg/d; lovastatin, 40 mg/d; atorvastatin, 20 mg/d; or an equivalent dose of another statin")[22].
  • U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. [37].

Secondary prevention

Clinical practice guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommend a treatment goal of <4 mmol/l (154 mg/dl) for total cholesterol or a low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration of <2 mmol/l (77 mg/dl).[19][20] A systematic review summarized randomized controlled trials in secondary prevention.[38]

Combination treatment

If treatment with a hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor does not achieve a desirable cholesterol, other drugs that may be added for additional benefit include niacin[9][13][14] and fish oil. Ezetimibe, a cholesterol-absorption inhibitor, was not clearly beneficial in a study of diabetes mellitus type 2[8] and a study of mixed primary prevention and secondary prevention[10].

Diabetic patients

For more information, see: Diabetes_mellitus_type_2#Hypercholesterolemia.


Whether diabetes is an equivalent risk factor to having an existing myocardial infarction is debated.[39]

Statin therapy prevents major vascular events in about 1 of every 24 patients with diabetes who use the treatment for 5 years if they are similar to the patients in the meta-analysis by Kearney et al (Number needed to treat is 24).[40]

Treating to a goal of LDL-C < 70 mg/dl and systolic blood pressure to < 115 mm Hg may cause regression of carotid intima-media thickness in a randomized controlled trial.[41]

Complementary and alternative medicine

Preliminary research suggests possible benefit from artichoke leaf.[42]

References

  1. Anonymous. Hypercholesterolemia. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  2. Boekholdt SM, Arsenault BJ, Mora S, Pedersen TR, LaRosa JC, Nestel PJ et al. (2012). "Association of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels with risk of cardiovascular events among patients treated with statins: a meta-analysis.". JAMA 307 (12): 1302-9. DOI:10.1001/jama.2012.366. PMID 22453571. Research Blogging.
  3. Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS (1972). "Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge.". Clin Chem 18 (6): 499-502. PMID 4337382[e]
  4. National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) (2002). "Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report.". Circulation 106 (25): 3143-421. PMID 12485966[e]
  5. Abourbih S, Filion KB, Joseph L, Schiffrin EL, Rinfret S, Poirier P et al. (2009). "Effect of fibrates on lipid profiles and cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review.". Am J Med 122 (10): 962.e1-8. DOI:10.1016/j.amjmed.2009.03.030. PMID 19698935. Research Blogging.
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