An analysis of data gathered from more than 17,000 adults by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers supports the belief that so-called “remnant cholesterol” (RC) provides an accurate stand-alone metric—just as doctors currently use measures of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—for predicting risk of clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. In fact, the researchers say, an RC measure may detect the potential for disease when LDL levels do not.
Remnant cholesterol represents the amount of cholesterol in remnant lipoproteins, a form of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) from which sugary fatty acids—called triglycerides—have been removed. Along with traditional measurements of blood LDL cholesterol (frequently called “bad cholesterol”) levels, the cholesterol within remnant lipoproteins has been studied as an additional means of assessing a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease and stroke.
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