• Antonio Gallo, Wilfried Le Goff, Raul D Santos, Isabella Fichtner, Stefano Carugo, Alberto Corsini, Cesare Sirtori, and Massimiliano Ruscica.
• Lipidology and Cardiovascular Prevention Unit, Department of Nutrition, APHP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpètriêre, Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR1166, Paris, France.
• Eur. J. Clin. Invest. 2025 Jan 1; 55 (1): e14326e14326.

BackgroundMaintaining low concentrations of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) over time decreases the number of LDL particles trapped within the artery wall, slows the progression of atherosclerosis and delays the age at which mature atherosclerotic plaques develop. This substantially reduces the lifetime risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. In this context, plaque development and vulnerability result not only from lipid accumulation but also from inflammation.ResultsChanges in the composition of immune cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, mast cells and neutrophils, along with altered cytokine and chemokine release, disrupt the equilibrium between inflammation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms at plaque sites. Considering that it is not a competition between LDLc and inflammation, but instead that they are partners in crime, the present narrative review aims to give an overview of the main inflammatory molecular pathways linked to raised LDLc concentrations and to describe the impact of lipid-lowering approaches on the inflammatory and lipid burden. Although remarkable changes in LDLc are driven by the most recent lipid lowering combinations, the relative reduction in plasma C-reactive protein appears to be independent of the magnitude of LDLc lowering.ConclusionIdentifying clinical biomarkers of inflammation (e.g. interleukin-6) and possible targets for therapy holds promise for monitoring and reducing the ASCVD burden in suitable patients.© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Clinical Investigation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

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