Global LDL cholesterol mortality

A 2023 Global Burden of Disease analysis found that elevated low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was responsible for roughly 3.6 million deaths worldwide, accounting for about a quarter of all stroke deaths and a third of heart‑disease deaths. Although age‑standardised mortality rates have fallen by more than 45 % since 1990, the absolute number of deaths rose by about 39 % because of population growth and ageing.

The study, covering 204 countries and over 4.7 billion adults, estimated 90.7 million lost healthy life years in 2023. Europe recorded the highest age‑standardised rates, while high‑income Asia‑Pacific regions had the lowest. India and China together contributed about one‑third of the global burden, and Latin America saw an 80 % increase in absolute cardiovascular deaths, with mixed progress across countries.

Health professionals stress routine lipid‑profile screening, especially for individuals with family histories, obesity, diabetes or hypertension, and recommend lifestyle changes and statin therapy where appropriate.