Remnants, LDL, and the Quantification of Lipoprotein-Associated Risk in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Implementation of intensive LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering strategies and recognition of the role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) in atherosclerosis has prompted re-evaluation of the suitability of current lipid profile measurements for future clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: At low concentrations of LDL-C (< 1.8 mmol/l/70 mg/dl), the Friedewald equation yields estimates with substantial negative bias. New equations provide a more accurate means of calculating LDL-C. Recent reports indicate that the increase in risk per unit increment in TRL/remnant cholesterol may be greater than that of LDL-C. Hence, specific measurement of TRL/remnant cholesterol may be of importance in determining risk. Non-HDL cholesterol and plasma apolipoprotein B have been shown in discordancy analyses to identify individuals at high risk even when LDL-C is low. SUMMARY: There is a need to adopt updated methods for determining LDL-C and to develop better biomarkers that more accurately reflect the abundance of TRL remnant particles.