Patterns of lipid profile and genetic variations in South Asians

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Dyslipidemia is a primary risk factor for CVDs. South Asians (SAs) are proven to be more at risk of dyslipidemia and the development of CVDs. In this review, we will provide an overview of dyslipidemia and its various types, followed by a closer examination of the pattern of dyslipidemia in SAs and their associated genetic variations. A PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science search using the relevant keywords was conducted without any time limitation. Afterwards, the articles were screened based on their title and abstract. The remaining articles were selected for full-text review. LDL levels have been found to be similar or lower in SAs than in white Europeans. However, it seems that compared with white Europeans, LDL leads to CVDs at lower serum levels in SAs. Denser and smaller LDL particles in SAs are more atherogenic. In addition, SAs have higher levels of lipoprotein (a) than white Europeans. Also, the rate of hypertriglyceridemia in SAs, affecting as high as 70% of their population, is significantly higher than that of white Europeans. A higher level of HDL is associated with a weaker protective effect in SAs compared with other ethnicities. SAs have variations in genes related to lipid metabolism, such as apoliprotein H, lipoprotein lipase, MBOAT7, SGPP1, SPTLC3, PCSK9, and CELSR2. SAs are more prone to dyslipidemia, leading to a higher risk of CVDs compared with other ethnic groups. South Asians (SAs) have lower serum levels of HDL-C than white Europeans. HDL-C tends to be dysfunctional in reducing CVD risk in SAs. SAs have denser, smaller LDL-C particles, which are more susceptible to aggregation. SAs have higher levels of triglycerides compared with white Europeans. SAs have variations in genes related to lipid metabolism, like APOH and PCSK9.