Prognostic impact of estimated remnant-like particle cholesterol in patients with differing glycometabolic status: an observational cohort study from China

Remnant cholesterol and risk of major adverse cardiovascular events: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies

Emerging evidence indicates a significant role of remnant cholesterol in contributing to the residual risk associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). This study aims to evaluate the dose-response relationship between remnant cholesterol and the risk of MACE. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were reviewed to identify cohort studies published in English up to 1 August 2023. Twenty-eight articles were selected. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed or random-effects models to evaluate the association between remnant cholesterol and the risk of MACE. The dose-response relationship between remnant cholesterol levels and the risk of MACE was analyzed using the linear model and restricted cubic spline regression models. For calculated remnant cholesterol levels, the pooled HR (95% CI) of MACE for per 1-SD increase was 1.13 (1.08, 1.17); HR (95% CI) for the second quartile (Q2), the third quartile (Q3) and the highest quartile (Q4) of remnant cholesterol levels were 1.14 (1.03, 1.25), 1.43 (1.23, 1.68) and 1.68 (1.44, 1.97), respectively, compared with the lowest quartile (Q1). For measured remnant cholesterol levels, the pooled HR (95% CI) of MACE per 1-SD increase was 1.67 (1.39, 2.01). The dose-response meta-analysis showed a dose-response relationship between remnant cholesterol levels and the risk of MACE, both on a linear trend (P < 0.0001) and a nonlinear trend (P < 0.0001). The risk of MACE is associated with increased levels of remnant cholesterol, and the dose-response relationship between remnant cholesterol levels and the risk of MACE showed both linear and nonlinear trends.

Remnant cholesterol in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests a substantial contribution of remnant cholesterol (RC) to residual risk for the development or relapse of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We aimed to evaluate the association of RC levels with ASCVD risk by different risk categories and methods of RC assessment. We also assessed available evidence of the effects of lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) on RC levels.

METHODS

English-language searches of Medline, PubMed, and Embase (inception to 31 January 2023); ClinicalTrials.gov (October 2022); and reference lists of studies and reviews. Studies reporting on the risk of the composite endpoint [all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE)] by RC levels were included. Moreover, we searched for studies reporting differences in RC levels after the administration of LLT(s).

RESULTS

Among n = 29 studies with 257,387 participants, we found a pooled linear (pooled HR: 1.27 per 1-SD increase, 95% CI: 1.12-1.43, P < 0.001, I2 = 95%, n = 15 studies) and non-linear association (pooled HR: 1.59 per quartile increase, 95% CI: 1.35-1.85, P < 0.001, I2 = 87.9%, n = 15 studies) of RC levels and the risk of M ACE both in patients with and without established ASCVD. Interestingly, the risk of MACE was higher in studies with directly measured vs. calculated RC levels. In a limited number of studies and participants, LLTs reduced RC levels.

CONCLUSION

RC levels are associated with ASCVD risk both in primary and secondary prevention. Directly measured RC levels are associated with ASCVD risk more evidently. Available LLTs tend to decrease RC levels, although the clinical relevance of RC decrease merits further investigation.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION

CRD42022371346.

Association between remnant cholesterol and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis among Chinese general population in health examination

OBJECTIVE

Remnant cholesterol (RC) was associated with carotid atherosclerosis in patients with clinical settings. But the value of RC as a risk management indicator for subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in health examination has not been fully determined.

METHODS

This was a real-world, cross-sectional study including 12317 Chinese general population. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) were assessed by ultrasound. RC was calculated by total cholesterol minus low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) minus high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C).Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) was defined as a composite of increased CIMT and CAP. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of RC and CAS, increased CIMT and CAP.

RESULTS

Among 12317 participants (mean age: 51.21±13.76 years; 8303 men and 4014 women), the prevalence of CAS and increased CIMT was higher in participants with higher RC levels (P for trend<0.01). After multivariable adjustment, the highest quartile of RC was significantly associated with higher risk of CAS (OR: 1.45 95%CI: 1.26-1.67) and increased CIMT (OR: 1.48 95%CI: 1.29-1.71) with the lowest quartile of RC as reference. And the relationships remained significant even after adjustment of LDL-C and HDL-C. Every 1-SD increase of RC level was positively associated with 17% risk increment for CAS (6-30%) and 20% risk increment for increased CIMT (8-34%).

CONCLUSION

Elevated serum RC levels were significantly associated with CAS and increased CIMT among Chinese general population, independent of LDL-C and HDL-C. RC evaluation could be applied for the risk management of early stage of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in health examination.

Prognostic value of remnant cholesterol in patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

Background

The relationship between abnormal lipid levels and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is well established, but the association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and coronary heart disease (CHD) remains uncertain. The aim of this meta-analysis is to systematically evaluate the prognostic value of RC concentration in patients with CHD.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were reviewed to identify relevant observational cohort studies published in English up to December 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis compared the highest and lowest RC concentration. The primary outcome was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and all-cause mortality in patients with CHD.

Results

A total of 10 studies recruiting 30,605 patients with CHD were selected to be included in this meta-analysis. Patients with CHD with elevated RC concentration had an increased risk of the composite endpoint events (RR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.26-1.87) and MACEs (RR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.54-1.88), but the risk of all-cause mortality was not statistically significant (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.79-1.69, P = 0.44). Subgroup analysis showed consistent results.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that elevated concentration RC may independently predict MACEs in patients with CHD. Determination of RC concentration may improve risk stratification of prognosis in patients with CHD. However, more high-quality studies are necessary to confirm this association.

Remnant-Like Particle Cholesterol and the Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) has been demonstrated to be associated with residual cardiovascular risk. The meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline RLP-C on the incidence of major cardiovascular adverse events (MACEs) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Embase electronic databases from the inception of the databases through 1 October 2022. Studies evaluating the association between baseline RLP-C and the risk of MACEs in patients with CAD were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled by a random-effect method (RLP-C analyzed as a categorical variable) and a fixed-effects model (RLP-C analyzed as a continuous variable). Results: Ten studies including 18,053 subjects were finally included in this meta-analysis. In our pooled analysis, compared to CAD patients with the lowest RLP-C category, the CAD patients with the highest RLP-C category had a significantly higher risk of future MACEs during follow-up (HR 1.79, 95% CI, 1.42−2.26, I2 = 60.31%, p < 0.01), which was consistent with outcomes of meta-analysis with the RLP-C analyzed as a continuous variable (HR 1.40, 95% CI, 1.28−1.53, I2 = 38.20%, p < 0.01). The sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results, and no significant publication bias was identified. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis suggests that the RLP-C was associated with an increased risk of long-term MACEs in patients with CAD at baseline. It is necessary to conduct randomized controlled trials to explore whether reducing the RLP-C level is conducive to reducing residual cardiovascular risk, even coronary plaque regression.

Elevated Remnant Cholesterol is Associated with Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the association of elevated RC levels with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with and without diabetes.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 1716 patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. RC was calculated as total cholesterol minus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol minus low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. RC ＞75th percentile of the cohort (＞0.79 mmol/L) was defined as abnormally elevated RC. Cox-regression models and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to assess the relationship between RC ＞0.79 mmol/L and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 927 days, a total of 354 patients had at least one event. In the overall population, compared with those with RC ≤ 0.79 mmol/L, patients with RC ＞0.79 mmol/L had a significantly higher risk of MACE after adjustment for potential confounders (hazard ratio: 1.572, 95% confidence interval: 1.251-1.975, P＜0.001). In addition, RC ＞0.79 mmol/L was associated with an increased risk of MACE of 66.7% (P=0.001) and 50.1% (P=0.022) in the diabetic and non-diabetic subgroups (P for interaction=0.073), respectively. The addition of RC significantly improved the predictive ability of baseline models for MACE in diabetic patients (all P＜0.05), but not in non-diabetic patients (all P＞0.05).

CONCLUSION

Abnormally elevated RC was significantly associated with worse prognosis in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients with ACS; however, the prognostic value of RC might be superior among diabetic patients.

Association of remnant cholesterol and lipid parameters with new-onset carotid plaque in Chinese population

Background

Remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (RC) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationships of remnant cholesterol and other conventional lipid parameters with new-onset carotid plaque are not fully understood in the Chinese community-based population.

Materials and methods

A total of 872 plaque-free participants (51.39 ± 4.96 years old) with no history of CVD were included in this study. The plasma concentrations of RC were calculated by subtracting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) from total cholesterol (TC). Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate and compare the associations between RC and other lipid parameters and new-onset carotid plaque.

Results

After a mean 6.77-year follow-up, the incidence of new-onset carotid plaque was 188 (21.56%). RC was significantly associated with new-onset carotid plaque [Odd ratio (OR) = 1.57 per 1 mmol/L increase, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–2.41, p = 0.038]. The highest tertile of RC (T3 group) had the highest risk of new-onset carotid plaque (OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.63–3.95). Similar results were seen for increased other lipid parameters, but decreased HDL-C levels. When adding another lipid parameter into the adjusted model with RC simultaneously, only RC remained significantly associated with new-onset carotid plaque after adjusting for other lipid parameters (all p value < 0.005). Furthermore, RC was strongly associated with new-onset carotid plaque in participants with lower baseline LDL-C levels.

Conclusion

Increased RC levels were superior to other conventional lipid parameters to be associated with new-onset carotid plaque in the Chinese community-based population. Furthermore, RC should be considered in participants with lower LDL-C levels for the purpose of early atherosclerosis prevention.

Elevated Remnant Cholesterol Reclassifies Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease and Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Elevated remnant cholesterol causes ischemic heart disease.

OBJECTIVES

We tested the hypothesis that the inclusion of elevated remnant cholesterol will lead to appropriate reclassification of individuals who later experience myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease.

METHODS

For >10 years we followed up 41,928 white Danish individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study without a history of ischemic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and statin use. Using predefined cut points for elevated remnant cholesterol, we calculated net reclassification index (NRI) from below to above 5%, 7.5%, and/or 10% 10-year occurrence of myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease defined as a composite of death from ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and coronary revascularization.

RESULTS

For individuals with remnant cholesterol levels ≥95th percentile (≥1.6 mmol/L, 61 mg/dL), 23% (P < 0.001) of myocardial infarction and 21% (P < 0.001) of ischemic heart disease were reclassified correctly from below to above 5% for 10-year occurrence when remnant cholesterol levels were added to models based on conventional risk factors, whereas no events were reclassified incorrectly. Consequently, the addition of remnant cholesterol levels yielded NRI of 10% (95% CI: 1%-20%) for myocardial infarction and 5% (95% CI: -3% to 13%) for ischemic heart disease. Correspondingly, when reclassifications were combined from below to above 5%, 7.5%, and 10% risk of events, 42% (P < 0.001) of individuals with myocardial infarction and 41% (P < 0.001) with ischemic heart disease were reclassified appropriately, leading to NRI of respectively 20% (95% CI: 9%-31%) and 11% (95% CI: 2%-21%).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated remnant cholesterol levels considerably improve myocardial infarction and ischemic heart disease risk prediction.

Remnant Cholesterol Predicts Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries

Background Remnant cholesterol (RC) has been reported to promote atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Yet little is known regarding the RC-related residual risk in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) with nonobstructive coronary arteries. Methods and Results A total of 1179 patients with MI with nonobstructive coronary arteries were enrolled and divided according to median level of RC calculated as non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol minus low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The primary end point was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including all-cause death, nonfatal MI, stroke, revascularization, and hospitalization for unstable angina or heart failure. Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, and receiver-operating characteristic analyses were used. Patients with higher median level of RC had a significantly higher incidence of MACEs (16.9% versus 11.5%; P=0.009) over the median follow-up of 41.7 months. High RC levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of MACEs after adjustment for multiple clinically relevant variables (per 1 SD increase, hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 1.12-2.31; P=0.009). Elevated RC also contributed to residual risk beyond conventional lipid parameters. Moreover, RC had an area under the curve of 0.61 for MACE prediction. When adding RC to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction risk score, the combined model yielded a significant improvement in discrimination for MACEs. Conclusions Elevated RC was closely associated with poor outcomes after MI with nonobstructive coronary arteries independent of traditional risk factors, indicating the utility of RC for risk stratification and a rationale for targeted RC-lowering trials in patients with MI with nonobstructive coronary arteries.