Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Isolation and Analysis of Plasma Lipoproteins by Ultracentrifugation
06:47

Isolation and Analysis of Plasma Lipoproteins by Ultracentrifugation

Published on: January 28, 2021

Dosage of lipoproteins for risk management according to guidelines

Christophe Bonnin1, Caroline Fourgeaud2, Guillaume Mahé3

  • 1Vascular Medicine and Explorations Unit, Pasteur Hospital, Nice University Hospital, Nice, France; Vascular Medicine, 32, boulevard Dubouchage, 06000 Nice, France.

Vascular Diseases (Paris, France)
|May 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) alone is insufficient for cardiovascular risk assessment. New biomarkers are needed to accurately identify and treat high-risk patients, especially with advanced lipid-lowering therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for cardiovascular disease risk assessment and dyslipidemia management.
  • LDL-C-targeted therapies effectively reduce cardiovascular events, but individual responses vary significantly.
  • Current LDL-C assessment may be suboptimal for all patients, particularly with emerging lipid-lowering treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the necessity of utilizing biomarkers beyond LDL-C.
  • To address limitations in LDL-C measurement and risk estimation.
  • To guide the identification and treatment of high cardiovascular risk patients.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing clinical recommendations and guidelines.
  • Analysis of limitations in LDL-C measurement accuracy.
  • Evaluation of individual variability in response to lipid-lowering therapies.

Main Results:

  • LDL-C measurement alone is insufficient for optimal cardiovascular risk stratification.
  • Inaccuracies in LDL-C calculation or measurement, especially in hypertriglyceridemia, can lead to significant risk estimation errors.
  • The imprecision of LDL-C is less acceptable with modern therapies achieving very low levels.

Conclusions:

  • Biomarkers beyond LDL-C are essential for comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment.
  • Relying solely on LDL-C is no longer an optimal strategy for all patients.
  • Newer biomarkers are needed to improve the identification and management of high cardiovascular risk individuals.

Keywords:
Apolipoprotein BCardiovascular riskGuidelinesLDL cholesterolNon-HDL cholesterol

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