SKIN CHOLESTEROL

Skin cholesterol makes up 11% of the total cholesterol in the body (3). In some conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia where people have very high blood lipids, xanthomas may form which look like small sores or bumps on the skin and are made up of fat deposits under the skin. Our bodies skin ages in parallel with vascular connective tissue which is the logic behind studying it as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. It is important to note that when we measure skin cholesterol levels, we are not measuring LDL, HDL or TG; skin cholesterol is a separate and independent bio-marker from these blood tests. Skin cholesterol is used in conjunction with and does not replace standard blood cholesterol testing. This will be discussed in more detail in the skin cholesterol section of the website... Although LDL is currently considered the gold standard, it is not a perfect biomarker and has several limitations. It is important to understand that no biomarker is perfect for all..