hsCRP (inflammation measure) versus LDL (a measure of...LDL) as a predictor

(Bob M) #1

In this study, hsCRP > LDL as a predictor of cardiovascular mortality:

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https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.066213

This uses “Hazard ratio”, where 1.0 means no extra hazard, numbers greater than 1.0 are worse, and numbers less than 1.0 are better. Meaning, technically, that higher LDL in Quartile 4, the highest they looked at (LDL > 158.5 mg/dL), means slightly less mortality. Shocking!

Now, I usually ignore these numbers until they get close to or above 2.0, which is what the hsCRP does for Quartile 4 (>4.46 mg/L)

Anyway, we constantly hear that LDL is deadly, causative for cardiovascular issues, yet when you begin looking into this, other measures are often better predictors. Such as hsCRP or even trigs/HDL.

(Alec) #2

Is consistent with other studies… higher LDL results in lower All Cause Mortality. The problem of course is that none of this is proof of causality, it is just association. They imply causality in the words they use, but that is wrong.

But of course we know that lack of association does prove lack of causality… so they just proved that LDL does not cause CVD. :clap::clap::clap: Again.

(KM) #3

Do you ever get the idea that 50 years from now, people may look back on the obsession with cholesterol like we look on phrenology? :hear_no_evil:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

Yep! If we haven’t all died from chronic diseases in the meantime. . . . :skull:

#5

Science and medicine can, at times, be very slow to change. The risk of CVD is only looked at from a 10-year window in the mainstream. What does this look like in 30 years? If you suspect you have cholesterol issues, be proactive and get an ApoB test. Ask your cardiologist, 'What is my 20 and 30-year risk?". Most will not know this answer. Have them look at Dr. Allan D. Sniderman’s research.

(Bob M) #6

I was just looking at something on Threads where they used gene editing in humans to reduce cholesterol. Yikes!!

@ffskier I can’t find the list of studies someone made on Twitter of all the times ApoB failed to be a good predictor of heart disease. I know it’s on the Internet somewhere, but I can’t find it.

Edit: And I predict the LMHRs have massively high ApoB yet no atherosclerosis.

#7

Do so at your own peril. Look at it as another tool to stack with others to get a better lipid profile picture.