The Study
PCSK9 loss of function is protective against extra-coronary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in a large multi-ethnic cohort
This study looks at people's genes to see if those born with naturally lower cholesterol (because of PCSK9 gene changes) are less likely to get certain diseases. It shows a link, but it doesn’t prove that changing the gene would definitely prevent those diseases.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Some people have a broken gene that lowers their bad cholesterol their whole life. Scientists studied hundreds of thousands of veterans to see what happens to their health.
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 548 / 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.
- 1These results suggest that lowering bad cholesterol early and for life can protect against many serious diseases, not just heart attacks.
- 2People with this gene change had 17% less heart disease, 24% less belly artery swelling, 17% less leg artery disease (in White people), and 14% less dementia.
- 3They did not get more diabetes.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2020
Authors
Aeron M. Small, J. Huffman, D. Klarin, J. Lynch, T. Assimes, S. Duvall, Yan V. Sun, Labiba Shere, P. Natarajan, M. Gaziano, D. Rader, P. Wilson, P. Tsao, Kyong‐Mi Chang, Kelly Cho, C. O’Donnell, J. Casas, S. Damrauer
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.
People who naturally have a broken PCSK9 gene — which keeps their bad cholesterol low their whole life — are much less likely to get heart disease, and this seems to be true for people of many different backgrounds.
In White people, having genes that naturally lower PCSK9 are linked to a lower chance of developing leg circulation problems, possibly because of how these genes affect cholesterol.
People born with a certain gene change that lowers their bad cholesterol over their whole life might have a lower chance of getting dementia, and this could be because of better blood vessel health in the brain.
People born with a certain genetic quirk that lowers their bad cholesterol over their whole life seem to have a lower chance of developing a dangerous belly blood vessel problem called an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.