Excessive blood concentrations of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), otherwise known as ‘bad cholesterol’, are implicated in cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke. Now, a research team in Montreal at the Biochemical Neuroendocrinology Research Unit at the IRCM has revealed a novel way to reduce LDL levels, possibly diminishing the risks of cardiovascular disease by 88%.

Levels of LDL in the blood depend on a baffling variety of factors; however, a key mechanism involves the LDLR receptor, which controls the elimination of LDLs. These receptors are degraded by what is called ‘PCSK9 proprotein convertase’. So, it stands to reason that the more PCSK9 you have, the fewer LDLR receptors you have, and the more LDL will be floating around causing havoc.

The discovery of the team of Dr. Nabil G. Seidah was that annexin A2 binds strongly to PCSK9, inhibiting its function. This might pave the way to a drug that can lower ‘bad cholesterol’ levels in the same way.

People with naturally inactive PCSK9 have have been shown to have an 88% diminished chance of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Currently, statins are the go-to drug when it comes to lowering LDL levels; however, they are of limited use because they increase the production of PCSK9, thereby creating a tolerance effect. A new drug based on this research could therefore even work in conjunction with statins to improve their effectiveness.

Background

First of all, let me point out that there is no such thing as ‘bad cholesterol’ – there is only one kind of cholesterol, and whether it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on how and where it is being transported in the body. Cholesterol is vital to life, being necessary to help emulsify fats so they can be transported in the blood. In fact, the concentration of cholesterol stays relatively constant in your body – if you don’t have enough, you body will synthesize more.

Among the various cholesterol packaging and transport modalities, LDL is considered to be ‘bad’ because it is able to transport fat and cholesterol to the arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis. ‘Good’ cholesterol refers to High Density Lipoproteins (HDLs), and it is believed that HDLs actually do the exact opposite – remove fat and cholesterol deposits from the arteries.

Fortunately, you can increase you HDL levels through lifestyle changes, in particular:

• Performing aerobic exercise
• Losing weight
• Stopping smoking
• Minimizing the amount of trans-fatty acids in the diet (margarine, shortening)
• Consuming alcohol in moderation (1-2 drinks/day)
• Increasing dietary monounsaturated fat intake (canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil, peanut oil)
• Increasing dietary soluble fibre intake (your typical list of healthy food – cereals, legumes, veges, etc.)
• Supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil)
• Supplementing with carnitine