The Study
Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel
This study doesn’t do a new experiment. Instead, it looks at many other studies — like hundreds of big medical trials and genetic research — and puts all the results together. It’s like checking 100 weather reports to prove it rains more when the sky is dark. Because so many different kinds of studies all show the same thing, we can be very sure that high LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) causes heart disease.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Yes, tiny fat particles called LDL (bad cholesterol) cause heart disease by building up in blood vessels over time. The more and longer you have them, the higher your risk.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 532 / 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.
- 1This means keeping LDL low from an early age is very important to prevent heart attacks and strokes later in life.
- 2Every 1 mmol/L increase in LDL-C raises heart disease risk steadily.
- 3Lowering LDL-C by that amount cuts risk by 22% in 5 years and up to 54% over 40 years.
- 4Drugs that lower LDL particle number work, but some that only lower cholesterol readings without reducing particle count do not.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal
Year
2017
Authors
B. Ference, H. Ginsberg, I. Graham, K. Ray, C. Packard, E. Bruckert, R. Hegele, R. Krauss, F. Raal, H. Schunkert, G. Watts, J. Borén, S. Fazio, J. Horton, L. Masana, S. Nicholls, B. Nordestgaard, B. Nordestgaard, B. Sluis, M. Taskinen, L. Tokgozoglu, U. Landmesser, U. Landmesser, U. Landmesser, U. Laufs, Olov Wiklund, Olov Wiklund, Jane K. Stock, M. Chapman, A. Catapano
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.