Plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. LDL is cleared from the circulation preferentially through the LDL receptor (LDLR) pathway. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) promotes the degradation of the LDLR. PCSK9 inhibition is attractive as a new strategy for lowering LDL-C levels, especially in combination with lipid lowering drugs such as statins. We review data from the available studies which focus on PCSK9 as a potential target in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Further studies are still necessary to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms involved.
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Banach et al. (2013) studied this question.