Prevention & lipidsCohort study
Non-HDL Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B Measures and Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
- Prospective cohort study
- population-based
Authors' conclusion
In this study, in individuals not taking lipid-lowering medication, non-HDL cholesterol provides information on ASCVD risk beyond apoB, and vice versa, indicating that both cholesterol content and particle number are important for risk.
Study context
- Population
- Danish general population (Copenhagen General Population Study), not taking lipid-lowering medication, recruited 2003–201553,042 women [56%]
- Participants
- 94,398 participants
- Exposure
- Non-HDL cholesterol vs apolipoprotein B (apoB) concordance/discordance categories
- Outcome
- MI and ASCVD events
- Follow-up
- Median 13.2 (IQR, 10.3-15.8) years
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
MI and ASCVD
Each group vs concordant lowHazard ratio (95% CI)
Non-HDL cholesterol (1-SD higher, 39 mg/dL)ASCVD, multivariable-adjusted
1.16(1.13–1.19)
apoB (1-SD higher, 30 mg/dL)ASCVD, multivariable-adjusted
1.14(1.12–1.17)
Discordant high apoBMI
1.32(1.10–1.59)
Discordant high non-HDL cholesterolMI
1.30(1.05–1.60)
Concordant highMI
1.69(1.53–1.85)
Discordant high apoBASCVD
1.14(1.01–1.29)
Discordant high non-HDL cholesterolASCVD
1.21(1.06–1.38)
Concordant highASCVD
1.36(1.28–1.44)
- First myocardial infarction (MI) events
- 2462
- First atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events
- 5723
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Non-HDL Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B Measures and Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Cardiol. Published 1 July 2026. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2026.0898
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it