CommunityBloodwork & Biomarkers

Did We Just Cure High LDL for Life?

11 replies7 peopleMay 31, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Can gene editing permanently lower LDL cholesterol and is it worth pursuing over current drugs?

Participants are excited by early human trial data showing large LDL drops from a single base-editing infusion, yet they note current gene therapies remain extremely expensive and unproven for long-term safety in non-fatal conditions. Some already use existing PCSK9 inhibitors and statins while hoping for future access; others question whether nature's higher cholesterol levels might serve unknown purposes and worry about downstream effects like dementia risk or postponed rather than prevented events. Personal stories range from lifelong low readings possibly tied to lifestyle to family histories of early heart attacks despite fitness.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether high cholesterol ever confers any advantage and whether statin-style lowering merely delays rather than prevents heart attacks

Still open

Long-term safety, cancer risk, and unforeseen consequences of permanent gene edits in otherwise healthy people

Nothing here is advice.

11 replies · 7 people
QuietAnchor73archiveopening postMay 31

Interesting early data from a gene therapy study using the same method now being tried on triglycerides. Scientists edited one DNA letter in living patients to turn off a cholesterol-related gene, and LDL dropped as much as 62 percent after a single treatment. The post walks through how the editing works, what the trial actually showed, and what remains unproven.

KeenHarbour58archiveMay 31

Sounds amazing. I would join a local trial right away if one opened up. I get my first labs since beginning a PCSK9 inhibitor plus another cholesterol drug on Monday and expect a solid reduction.

NorthFenwick24archiveMay 31

Found a solid piece arguing that lowering LDL aggressively in younger healthy adults prevents cardiovascular disease with almost no downside, effectively solving the problem.

ClearLedger24archiveMay 31

Would a low-dose statin combined with the other common cholesterol drug make sense until gene therapy is widely available?

CopperSignal27archiveMay 31

Existing gene therapies that are approved cost millions, so practical use for lipids is distant. Permanent edits need ironclad safety data because mistakes can trigger cancer; that risk may be tolerable for deadly genetic diseases but not when decent medicines already exist. I see no realistic rollout inside ten years.

QuietAnchor73archiveMay 31
↳ replying to @CopperSignal27

We might not be around for it, but the early promise is already pushing researchers forward.

CopperSignal27archiveJun 1

It is odd how few therapies reach the clinic when labs routinely edit or delete genes in mice, even in specific tissues or under external control. One video essay explained the cost barriers well.

SteadyCinder62archiveJun 5

I have always run low cholesterol numbers. Decades ago an older doctor blamed it on scotch and told me to eat more eggs and cheese. My HDL tends to sit at normal levels too, though one medication lowered everything; I hope it rebounds on a maintenance dose. Would be nice to see HDL climb higher.

QuietAnchor73archiveJun 5

How long have you been taking GLP-1 medications and what dose are you on now?

SlowKettle51archiveJun 6
↳ replying to @SteadyCinder62

HDL above about 75 brings smaller gains, and some data link very high levels to later dementia risk. Balance matters. My partner's recent readings were 120 then 90 while mine stay in the low thirties despite similar eating. I suspect the gene-editing route could have later downsides; maybe there is a reason some people are wired for higher cholesterol. Statin-style lowering may simply delay heart attacks rather than stop them, since inflammation and calcium levels also drive plaque.

SteadyCinder62archiveJun 6
↳ replying to @SlowKettle51

Solid points. Everyone's biology is tuned differently and interventions ripple through many systems we do not fully grasp yet. Still, the ability to spot and adjust genetic pathways tied to disease feels like real progress even if surprises appear along the way.

KeenHarbour58archiveJun 9
↳ replying to @SlowKettle51

There is no protective benefit from higher cholesterol. Untreated familial cases lead to early heart attacks; half the men and nearly a third of the women are affected before sixty. My own family lost someone at thirty-nine. My peak total cholesterol exceeded 400 even as a fit young adult on a reasonable diet.

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Did We Just Cure High LDL for Life? · ZyraTrack Community