Association between circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive disease which eventually leads to coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic stroke and other atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Numerous studies have demonstrated an atherogenic role of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in the progression of ASCVD. This article briefly reviews the atherogenic mechanism of ox-LDL, the methods of measuring ox-LDL in the circulation, effect of medical therapy and life-style modification on ox-LDL level, and the association between circulating ox-LDL and atherosclerosis, including clinical ASCVD events and subclinical atherosclerosis, in observational studies.