Background: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a chronic cholestatic liver disease, is frequently associated with severe hypercholesterolaemia but the clinical significance of this finding is unclear. Aims: To characterise changes in serum lipid profile over time and to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease in PBC. Subjects and methods: We studied a cohort of 400 PBC patients for 6.2 years (r...

BACKGROUND Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a chronic cholestatic liver disease, is frequently associated with severe hypercholesterolaemia but the clinical significance of this finding is unclear. AIMS To characterise changes in serum lipid profile over time and to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease in PBC. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We studied a cohort of 400 PBC patients for 6.2 years (...

Hypercholesterolaemia is a major risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Early detection and management of hypercholesterolaemia could retard the atherosclerotic process. Given that CHD and hypercholesterolaemia cluster within families, a screening strategy based on a family history of vascular disease has been advocated. Serum total cholesterol concentrations were meas...

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease still represents the leading cause of death in Western countries. A wealth of scientific evidence demonstrates that increased blood cholesterol levels have a major impact on the outbreak and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Moreover, several cholesterol-lowering pharmacological agents, including statins and ezetimibe, have proved effective in improv...