Oxidized low-density lipoprotein associates with cardiovascular disease by a vicious cycle of atherosclerosis and inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023 Jan 16:9:1023651. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1023651. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is an established marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a therapeutic target. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is known to be associated with excessive inflammation and abnormal lipoprotein metabolism. Chronic inflammatory diseases confer an elevated risk of premature atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular events. Whether oxLDL may serve as a potential biomarker for CVD stratification in populations with chronic inflammatory conditions remains understudied.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the relationship between oxLDL and CVD (defined by incident CVD events, carotid intima-media thickness, presence of coronary plaque) in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using studies published between 2000 and 2022 from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase (Elsevier), CINHAL (EBSCOhost), Scopus (Elsevier), and Web of Science: Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) databases on the relationship between oxLDL and cardiovascular risk on inflamed population. The pooled effect size was combined using the random effect model and publication bias was assessed if P < 0.05 for the Egger or Begg test along with the funnel plot test.

Results: A total of three observational studies with 1,060 participants were ultimately included in the final meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that oxLDL is significantly increased in participants with CVD in the setting of chronic inflammatory conditions. This meta-analysis suggests that oxLDL may be a useful biomarker in risk stratifying cardiovascular disease in chronically inflamed patients.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; cardiovascular disease; inflammation; lipids; oxidized low-density lipoprotein.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Intramural Research Program (HL006193-07). This research was made possible through the NIH Medical Research Scholars Program, a public-private partnership supported jointly by the NIH and contributions to the Foundation for the NIH from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Genentech, the American Association for Dental Research, the Colgate-Palmolive Company, and other private donors. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.