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2w ago

Global Study Finds Elevated LDL Cholesterol Caused 3.6 Million Deaths in 2023

The finding signals widening gaps in screening with limited access to affordable treatment concentrating burden in India, China and many lower-income countries.

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LDL cholesterol is behind a third of all heart disease deaths and a quarter of all stroke deaths worldwide. Getty Images

Overview

  • The Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis, published in JAMA on July 30, 2026, estimated elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) caused 3.6 million deaths and 90.7 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023.
  • Nearly one third of ischemic heart disease deaths and more than one quarter of ischemic stroke deaths worldwide were attributed to high LDL-C, making it a leading modifiable driver of heart attacks and strokes.
  • Age-standardized death and DALY rates for LDL-C fell by roughly 40–46% since 1990, but total deaths and healthy years lost rose about 38.5% because of population growth and aging.
  • The burden is concentrated in middle- and low-income settings, with India and China accounting for about 34% of global DALYs, a pattern linked to low screening rates and uneven access to statins and newer lipid-lowering treatments.
  • High LDL-C is usually symptomless but detectable with a simple lipid blood test and often treatable with lifestyle changes and affordable drugs; experts are urging earlier routine screening, broader statin access, and public-health measures to cut saturated fats and processed foods.