Plant sterol supplementation on top of lipid-lowering therapies in familial hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia is the most common inherited disorder of lipid metabolism, resulting in very high levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) from birth and increased premature coronary disease [1]. Underdiagnosed and undertreated, this condition often requires combined lipid-lowering therapy (LLT), with room for further interventions [1]. Plant sterol (PS) supplementation, by reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption, can further lower LDL-cholesterol in 10% [2,3], but the combination of high-dose statin with or without ezetimibe and plant sterols had not been addressed yet in FH individuals.