| Abstract: | Taking into account the discordance between low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) and LDL particle (LDL‐P) number, cardiovascular risk more closely correlates with LDL‐P in patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the number of lipid particles in patients with severe hypercholesterolemia treated with different lipid‐lowering regimens. Four groups of patients differing with respect to lipid‐lowering therapy were recruited from hypercholesterolemic outpatients and lipoprotein apheresis (LA) facilities, and were treated with statins alone (group A), with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors (PCSK9i) (group B), with statins and LA (group C), or with statins, PCSK9i, and LA (group D). Cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL‐C, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), LDL‐P number and size, HDL‐P number and size were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The lowest LDL‐P number was achieved at the end of LA sessions in combination with statins or in combination with statins and a monoclonal PCSK9i (median; 25th and 75th percentile) (group C: 244 nmoL/L: 237, 244, P < 0.05; group D: 244 nmoL/L: 99, 307, P < 0.05). Comparing LDL‐P number at the start of LA (group C: 978 nmoL/L: 728, 1404; group D: 954 nmoL/L: 677, 1521) to the other patient groups (groups A and B), the lowest LDL‐P number was measured in patients treated with PCSK9i and a statin (group B): LDL‐P (762 nmoL/L: 604, 1043, P < 0.05), large LDL‐P (472 nmoL/L: 296, 574, P < 0.05), and small LDL‐P (342 nmoL/L: 152, 494, P < 0.05). Very low‐density lipoprotein and HDL particle sizes remained approximately the same in all groups. LA in combination with statins or in combination with statins and PCSK9i most reduced LDL‐P numbers in hypercholesterolemic patients. |
