Cardiovasc Diabetol

Low LDL linked to higher diabetes risk—even without statins

November 24, 2025

A six-year longitudinal cohort study of 13,674 adults free of diabetes and cardiovascular disease at baseline found that lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were strongly and inversely associated with incident T2DM. Individuals with LDL-C <84 mg/dL had the highest risk of developing diabetes, and this association persisted regardless of statin use. Statin therapy only modified diabetes risk in those with very high LDL-C, not in lower LDL-C strata. These findings suggest that low LDL-C may serve as a biomarker for diabetes susceptibility, independent of lipid-lowering therapy.

Clinical takeaway: Consider monitoring glycemic status in patients with very low LDL-C, regardless of statin therapy.

Source:

Lembo M, et al. (2025, November 11). Cardiovasc Diabetol. A six-year longitudinal study identifies a statin-independent association between low LDL-cholesterol and risk of type 2 diabetes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41219868/