Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (844 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Abnormalities in the serum levels of lipids, including overproduction or deficiency. Abnormal serum lipid profiles may include high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Dyslipidemia; Dyslipoproteinemias; Dyslipoproteinemia.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Lipid Metabolism Disorders
- Narrower topics
- Hyperlipidemias; Hypolipoproteinemias; Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome
Related concepts
- Lipids
- Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- HDL Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 93,179 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Dyslipidemias” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 13,427 of them (14.4%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 31,906 records.
Reviews account for 15,949 records (17.1%) and meta-analyses for 1,048. Randomized controlled trials number 5,654 (6.1%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 31,906 |
| 2000-2009 | 22,215 |
| 2010-2019 | 25,631 |
| 2020 onward | 13,427 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 15,949 | 17.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 1,048 | 1.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 5,654 | 6.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Dyslipidemias"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in metabolism and endocrine disease
Studies of diabetes, obesity and hormone disorders often follow blood tests such as glucose, HbA1c or hormone levels, which are stand-ins for outcomes that matter more, such as complications. Lifestyle and diet research is largely observational, and weight and diabetes trials can differ in how long people were followed. Nothing on this page is advice about medicines, insulin or diet; talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation. Check whether the outcome was a lab value or a clinical event, and the type and duration of the condition studied.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-Term Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Children With Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 6 | cc by PMID 41870461 · DOI · PMC13010205 |
| Obicetrapib and lipoprotein(a) levels in patients at high cardiovascular risk: a pooled analysis of trials | 2026 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42183881 · DOI · PMC13337231 |
| Lipid management in type 2 diabetes and non-HDL-cholesterol: target all atherogenic lipoproteins | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 41968323 · DOI · PMC13085282 |
Long-Term Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Children With Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ImportanceMetabolically healthy obesity (MHO) in children has been considered a low-risk phenotype, potentially not requiring treatment.
- Closing excerpt
- Hence, obesity treatment should be recommended for all children with obesity, regardless of initial metabolic status.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (415 words)
ImportanceMetabolically healthy obesity (MHO) in children has been considered a low-risk phenotype, potentially not requiring treatment. However, their long-term cardiometabolic outcomes remain unclear.ObjectiveTo compare the occurrence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and mortality up to young adulthood in children with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), and general population peers, and to investigate the association between obesity treatment response and disease risk.Design, setting, and participantsThis was a prospective cohort study including children undergoing obesity treatment recorded in the Swedish Childhood Obesity Treatment Register (BORIS) between 1997 and 2020 and their general population comparators, linked with national registers. Children in the cohort with obesity were aged 7 to 17 years at obesity treatment initiation and had complete cardiometabolic data. General population comparators were matched (ratio 1:5) based on sex, birth year, and residential area. Study data were analyzed from February to March 2025.ExposuresExposures included metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), defined as the absence of high blood pressure, impaired fasting glycemia, elevated transaminases, elevated triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; otherwise, children were categorized as having metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO).Main outcomes and measuresType 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and mortality up to age 30 years.ResultsA total of 7275 children (median [first quartile {Q1}-third quartile {Q3}] age, 11.1 [9.1-13.5] years; 4004 male [55.0%]) were included, along with 35 636 general population comparators (median [Q1-Q3] age, 11.1 [9.1-13.5] years; 19 596 male [55.0%]). MHO at baseline was present in 3626 children (49.8%; median [Q1-Q3] age, 10.6 [8.8-12.8] years; 1981 male [54.6%]), and MUO was present in 3649 children (50.2%; median [Q1-Q3] age, 11.6 [9.4-14.0] years; 2023 male [55.4%]). By age 30 years, cumulative incidences were as follows: type 2 diabetes (MHO, 9.1%; MUO, 16.8%; general population, 0.5%), hypertension (MHO, 10.8%; MUO, 18.3%; general population, 3.7%), and dyslipidemia (MHO, 5.3%; MUO, 12.7%; general population, 0.9%). A reduction of at least 0.25 body mass index (BMI) z score was associated with reduced incidence rate ratio (IRR) of type 2 diabetes (IRR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.14-0.35), hypertension (IRR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.93), and dyslipidemia (IRR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.14-0.57), with similar risk reduction for MHO and MUO.Conclusions and relevanceResults of this cohort study reveal that a reduction in BMI z score of at least 0.25 was associated with similar risk reductions for both MHO and MUO. Children with MHO face a substantially increased cardiometabolic disease risk already as young adults compared with the general population. Hence, obesity treatment should be recommended for all children with obesity, regardless of initial metabolic status.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41870461 · DOI · PMC13010205
Obicetrapib and lipoprotein(a) levels in patients at high cardiovascular risk: a pooled analysis of trials [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Background and aimsThere is interest in developing lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] lowering therapies.
- Closing excerpt
- The absolute reduction in Lp(a) with obicetrapib was similar in patients with mildly elevated Lp(a) levels, who are unlikely to qualify for administration of RNA-targeted Lp(a) lowering agents.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (204 words)
Background and aimsThere is interest in developing lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] lowering therapies. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitors lower Lp(a), however the effects of the selective inhibitor obicetrapib on Lp(a) levels in high cardiovascular risk patients have not been fully elucidated. This analysis investigated the effect of obicetrapib on Lp(a).MethodsA pooled analysis of trials evaluating the 12-week lipid effects of daily obicetrapib 10 mg compared with placebo in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) investigated the effect of obicetrapib on Lp(a) levels.ResultsIn 2356 patients, the pooled cohort had a median age of 66 years, 36% were female with a history of ASCVD in 82%, HeFH in 27% and statin use in 91%. Median baseline lipid levels included low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of 92 mg/dL, apolipoprotein B (apoB) of 87 mg/dL and Lp(a) of 42.9 nmol/L. Obicetrapib produced placebo-adjusted reductions in LDL-C of 37.0% and 35 mg/dL, in apoB of 21.3% and 20 mg/dL, and in Lp(a) of 37.3% and 14.9 nmol/L. In patients with baseline Lp(a) levels ≥50-ConclusionsObicetrapib lowered LDL-C, apoB and Lp(a). The absolute reduction in Lp(a) with obicetrapib was similar in patients with mildly elevated Lp(a) levels, who are unlikely to qualify for administration of RNA-targeted Lp(a) lowering agents.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42183881 · DOI · PMC13337231
Lipid management in type 2 diabetes and non-HDL-cholesterol: target all atherogenic lipoproteins [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with diabetes, partly driven by dyslipidemia.
- Closing excerpt
- Future research should focus on refining risk stratification, improving lipid target attainment, and integrating novel lipid-modifying agents to enhance cardiovascular outcomes in this high-risk population.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (225 words)
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with diabetes, partly driven by dyslipidemia. While low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction is the primary target of lipid management, many patients with diabetes exhibit mixed dyslipidemia characterised by elevated triglycerides and increased concentrations of atherogenic remnant lipoproteins, which are more comprehensively captured by non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C). Current guidelines from international societies, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), recommend LDL-C and non-HDL-C targets based on individual cardiovascular risk profiles. Despite clear therapeutic algorithms, lipid target attainment remains suboptimal in routine clinical practice, necessitating more intensive and individualised treatment strategies. Lipid-lowering therapies, including statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid and PCSK9 inhibitors, effectively reduce LDL-C and non-HDL-C, significantly lowering cardiovascular risk. Triglyceride-lowering therapies, including omega-3 fatty acids and fibrates, have demonstrated substantial reductions in triglyceride levels, but their impact on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain. Given the heterogeneity of dyslipidemia in diabetes, non-HDL-C and apolipoprotein B (apoB) have emerged as superior markers for assessing atherogenic burden. While LDL-C reduction remains central, additional efforts are needed to optimise the management of residual atherogenic lipoprotein particles in diabetes. Future research should focus on refining risk stratification, improving lipid target attainment, and integrating novel lipid-modifying agents to enhance cardiovascular outcomes in this high-risk population.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41968323 · DOI · PMC13085282
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Worldwide Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Meta-Analyses of 11 Million Subjects [4]
- Research article Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Among the General Population and Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [5]
- Research article Baseline and on-statin treatment lipoprotein(a) levels for prediction of cardiovascular events: individual patient-data meta-analysis of statin outcome trials [6]
- Research article The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials [7]
- Research article Prevalence of dyslipidaemia among adults in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Dyslipidemia, inflammation, calcification, and adiposity in aortic stenosis: a genome-wide study [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Barriers and Facilitators in Access to Diabetes, Hypertension, and Dyslipidemia Medicines: A Scoping Review
Carla Castillo-Laborde, Macarena Hirmas-Adauy, Isabel Matute et al. · Public Health Reviews 2022 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Putri RR, Danielsson P, Hagman E, Marcus C. Long-Term Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Children With Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity. . 2026. PMID 41870461 · DOI · PMC13010205
- Nicholls SJ, Nelson AJ, Ray KK, Ditmarsch M, Kling D, Hsieh A, et al.. Obicetrapib and lipoprotein(a) levels in patients at high cardiovascular risk: a pooled analysis of trials. . 2026. PMID 42183881 · DOI · PMC13337231
- Brandts J, Verket M, Zambon A, Marx N, Müller-Wieland D, Federici M. Lipid management in type 2 diabetes and non-HDL-cholesterol: target all atherogenic lipoproteins. . 2026. PMID 41968323 · DOI · PMC13085282
- Beheshti SO, Madsen CM, Varbo A, Nordestgaard BG. Worldwide Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Meta-Analyses of 11 Million Subjects. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020. PMID 32439005 · DOI
- Hu P, Dharmayat KI, Stevens CAT, Sharabiani MTA, Jones RS, Watts GF, et al.. Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Among the General Population and Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circulation. 2020. PMID 32468833 · DOI
- Willeit P, Ridker PM, Nestel PJ, Simes J, Tonkin AM, Pedersen TR, et al.. Baseline and on-statin treatment lipoprotein(a) levels for prediction of cardiovascular events: individual patient-data meta-analysis of statin outcome trials. Lancet. 2018. PMID 30293769 · DOI
- Ho HV, Sievenpiper JL, Zurbau A, Blanco Mejia S, Jovanovski E, Au-Yeung F, et al.. The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2016. PMID 27724985 · DOI
- Noubiap JJ, Bigna JJ, Nansseu JR, Nyaga UF, Balti EV, Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, et al.. Prevalence of dyslipidaemia among adults in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2018. PMID 30103999 · DOI
- Yu Chen H, Dina C, Small AM, Shaffer CM, Levinson RT, Helgadóttir A, et al.. Dyslipidemia, inflammation, calcification, and adiposity in aortic stenosis: a genome-wide study. Eur Heart J. 2023. PMID 37038246 · DOI · PMC10232274
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.