The Characteristics of the Subjects with Very Low Serum Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and the Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Those Subjects

Abstract

Aims : Further studies about hypocholesterolemia are warranted. Some studies revealed an association between hypocholesterolemia and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of the subjects with very low serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and compare the risk of ICH by statin use or statin non-use group in the subjects.

Methods : From our hospital records, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of subjects with LDL-C ?T 40 mg/dL. The exclusion criteria were systemic infectious or inflammatory diseases, trauma, brain tumor, type 1 diabetes, acute systemic illness, pregnancy, thrombolytic therapy in the hospital when the lipid profiles were measured.

Results : Among a total of 34415 subjects who were presented to the laboratory to measure serum LDL-C, 250 subjects had serum LDL-C 40 mg/dL or less that we defined as very low level. Nearly half of the subjects had very low LDL-C level without history of statin use, usually due to alcohol intake or various chronic illnesses including liver diseases, end stage renal disease (ESRD). ICH occurred in 4 subjects with very low LDL-C, all of whom had no history of statin use. Among various clinical factors, ESRD was related with ICH in subjects with very low LDL-C.

Conclusions : We found about 1% of subjects whose LDL-C was measured in a hospital have LDL-C 40mg/dL or less. Among them, half of the subjects had no history of hypolipidemic therapy. ICH incidence tended to be higher in this spontaneous group than in statin users.