Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38572634›Full record

ArticleStroke2024

LDL-c Lowering, Ischemic Stroke, and Small Vessel Disease Brain Imaging Biomarkers: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Marie-Joe Dib, Loukas Zagkos, Devendra Meena, Stephen Burgess, Julio A Chirinos, Dipender Gill

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Stroke, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Leveraging Mendelian randomization to inform drug discovery and development for ischemic stroke.Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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  7. Review
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Marie-Joe DibDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (M.-J.D., J.A.C.).ORCID 0000-0001-7591-5684
Loukas ZagkosDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (L.Z., D.M., D.G.).ORCID 0000-0002-7700-8102
Devendra MeenaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (L.Z., D.M., D.G.).
Stephen BurgessMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom (S.B.).
Julio A ChirinosDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (M.-J.D., J.A.C.).ORCID 0000-0001-9035-5670
Dipender GillDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (L.Z., D.M., D.G.).ORCID 0000-0001-7312-7078
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania · USImperial College London · GBPublic Health England · GBUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

British Heart Foundation RE/18/4/34215Wellcome Trust 225790
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe effects of lipid-lowering drug targets on different ischemic stroke subtypes are not fully understood. We aimed to explore the mechanisms by which lipid-lowering drug targets differentially affect the risk of ischemic stroke subtypes and their underlying pathophysiology.

methodsUsing a 2-sample Mendelian randomization approach, we assessed the effects of genetically proxied low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and 3 clinically approved LDL-lowering drugs (HMGCR [3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase], PCSK9 [proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9], and NPC1L1 [Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1]) on stroke subtypes and brain imaging biomarkers associated with small vessel stroke (SVS), including white matter hyperintensity volume and perivascular spaces.

resultsIn genome-wide Mendelian randomization analyses, lower genetically predicted LDL-c was significantly associated with a reduced risk of any stroke, ischemic stroke, and large artery stroke, supporting previous findings. Significant associations between genetically predicted LDL-c and cardioembolic stroke, SVS, and biomarkers, perivascular space and white matter hyperintensity volume, were not identified in this study. In drug-target Mendelian randomization analysis, genetically proxied reduced LDL-c through NPC1L1 inhibition was associated with lower odds of perivascular space (odds ratio per 1-mg/dL decrease, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.67-0.93]) and with lower odds of SVS (odds ratio, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.10-0.85]).

conclusionsThis study provides supporting evidence of a potentially protective effect of LDL-c lowering through NPC1L1 inhibition on perivascular space and SVS risk, highlighting novel therapeutic targets for SVS.

Indexed as

Cerebral Small Vessel DiseasesCholesterol, LDLIschemic StrokeMendelian Randomization AnalysisProprotein Convertase 9BiomarkersBrainFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansHydroxymethylglutaryl CoA ReductasesLipid MetabolismMembrane ProteinsMembrane Transport ProteinsBiomarkersCholesterol, LDLHMGCR protein, humanHydroxymethylglutaryl CoA ReductasesMembrane ProteinsMembrane Transport ProteinsNPC1L1 protein, humanPCSK9 protein, humanProprotein Convertase 9geneticsischemic strokelipid-lowering drugsMendelian randomization analysisstroke

Identifiers

PMID38572634
PMCPMC7615976
OpenAlexW4393948658

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.