The Study
Sequence variations in PCSK9, low LDL, and protection against coronary heart disease.
This study watched a big group of people for 15 years and found that those born with a certain gene change had lower 'bad' cholesterol and fewer heart problems. It shows a strong link, but doesn’t prove the gene change itself is what protected their hearts.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Some people have a special version of a gene that keeps their 'bad' cholesterol low their whole life, and they get heart disease much less often.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 559 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, this is very important — having lower cholesterol from a young age can greatly protect your heart over time.
- 228% lower bad cholesterol and 88% less heart disease in Black people with the gene change; 15% lower cholesterol and 47% less heart disease in White people with a different gene change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The New England journal of medicine
Year
2006
Authors
Jonathan C. Cohen, E. Boerwinkle, T. Mosley, H. Hobbs
Related Content
Claims (7)
People with certain genetic changes that turn down a protein called PCSK9 tend to have lower 'bad' cholesterol their whole lives and are much less likely to get heart disease.
Loss-of-function mutations in the PCSK9 gene are associated with lifelong lower LDL cholesterol and a substantially reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
Black adults with a certain genetic mutation have much lower bad cholesterol and are way less likely to get heart disease over 15 years — this shows that keeping cholesterol low from an early age could really protect your heart, even if you're at higher risk.
People who naturally have lower 'bad' cholesterol because of their genes tend to have cleaner arteries, which means less buildup of plaque over time.
People born with certain gene changes that lower their bad cholesterol over their whole life have a lower chance of heart disease — the more their cholesterol is lowered, the lower their risk.
White adults with a certain gene variant have lower bad cholesterol and are nearly half as likely to get heart disease over 15 years — showing that even a small, lifelong drop in cholesterol can really protect your heart.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.