Effect of Weight Loss on Cholesterol Metabolism in Hereditary Hypercholesterolemias and Overweight or Obesity.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥18 years.
• Diagnosis of Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia* and Familial Hypercholesterolemia**.
• Body mass index > 25 kg/m2.
• Steady weight (±3 kg in the last 3 months).
• Absence of lipid lowering drugs including sterols supplements in the previous 5 weeks.

• Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia diagnosis was based on the presence of primary combined hyperlipidaemia in untreated patients whose serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were above the sex- and age-specific 90th percentiles for the Spanish population, serum total apolipoprotein B concentration ≥ 120 mg/dL and there was at least one first-degree relative with hyperlipidemia (total cholesterol and/or triglycerides >90th percentile) (Gómez-Gerique JA et al; 1999).

• Familial Hypercholesterolemia was diagnosed in subjects with off-treatment LDL cholesterol concentrations above the age- and sex-specific 95th percentile of a Spanish reference population, triglyceride below 200 mg/dL and familial vertical transmission with at least one first-degree relative with LDL cholesterol above age- and sex-specific 95th percentiles (Gómez-Gerique JA et al; 1999).

Exclusion criteria

• Alcohol consumption >30 gr/day.
• Uncontrolled type-2 diabetes (HbA1c >8%).
• Any other disease that could interfere with the ability to comply with the study protocol were excluded
• Personal history of cardiovascular disease, very high risk as defined by the presence of ≥ 2 major risk factors, or total cholesterol ≥ 350 mg/dL since lipid-lowering drug were considered highly recommended.