Traditional biomarkers based on blood plasma fatty acid levels may lose their diagnostic value in atherosclerosis patients taking statins, researchers at Sechenov University have found. As an alternative, the scientists proposed a new system of lipid indices that can more accurately identify metabolic disorders and assess disease risk. The findings were published in the journal Biomedicines.
During the study, the researchers analysed blood samples from more than 100 individuals – atherosclerosis patients and healthy volunteers – and found that traditional markers show low diagnostic accuracy and perform particularly poorly at distinguishing patient groups in those taking statins.
“In real-world clinical practice, especially in patients on long-term statin therapy, conventional fatty acid profile markers – including the omega‑3 index – do indeed lose diagnostic sensitivity,” said Filipp Kopylov, director of the Institute of Personalised Cardiology at Sechenov University. “Statins modify lipid metabolism and partially smooth out differences between groups, while plasma parameters themselves are highly dependent on diet and short-term influences.”
Based on these findings, the researchers proposed a new approach combining several indicators: an omega‑6/omega‑3 fatty acid balance index, ratios of individual metabolites, and an integrated mathematical model accounting for multiple lipid metabolism parameters. This system demonstrated significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than traditional markers and remained informative in patients on statin therapy.
“We have moved from evaluating individual parameters to composite indices that reflect not only absolute fatty acid levels but also their metabolic ratios. This approach allows us to more accurately capture shifts associated with inflammation and atherosclerotic plaque instability, and essentially gives us a tool for more precise monitoring of atherosclerosis patients, including those on long-term statin therapy,” Kopylov said.
The proposed approach could be used for more accurate diagnosis and monitoring of atherosclerosis, as well as for assessing treatment efficacy, the scientists believe.
