
2023 Impact Factor
Lipids are organic compounds that are insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents. They are esters of fatty acids, rarely containing alcohol or phosphate functional group molecules, and comprise triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids. They are the energy reserves of animals and perform various functions, such as maintenance of body temperature, whilst being the key constituents of cell membranes and serving as chemical messengers (Tocher, 2003; Ratnayake and Galli, 2009). The human body requires various types of useful lipid fat to maintain the healthy functions of its parts (Ahmed
A lack of chemical reactions in our bodies causes metabolic diseases and lowers our quality of life. The enzymes needed to metabolize lipids may not work properly or are not produced enough (Lattimer and Haub, 2010). Excessive lipids are stored, causes permanent cellular and tissue damage, predominantly in the brain and peripheral nervous system, resulting in metabolic disorders such as Gaucher’s disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Niemann-Pick disease (NPD), etc. (Solomon and Muro, 2017). Obesity is now a common metabolic disorder, involving an excessive amount of body fat. It increases the risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. Altered intestinal microbiota may stimulate hepatic fat deposition, also causing obesity and other metabolic disorders (Arslan, 2014; Song
According to the Mayo Clinic, while certain metabolic abnormalities can be discovered by continuous screening tests at birth, the majority are diagnosed after the onset of symptoms in adulthood. For example, the population of gut microbiota microorganisms in the human digestive system that are involved in beneficial metabolic action is high. (Dibaise
Aqueous insoluble lipids are molecules with complex structures as a result of several biochemical transformations (Fahy
Lipids or fatty acids are important components of the human body and have multiple functions in both health and diseases. Different lipids are synthesized by our body, based on the functional area, and are produced by lipogenic tissues in the presence of cytosol (Tracey
Lipid metabolism is involved in different active functions of our body, such as energy storage, hormone regulation, nerve impulse transmission, and fat-soluble nutrient transportation. Lipids serves as an energy source with high caloric density, providing 9 kcal of energy when compared to protein and carbohydrates, which can also store 100,000 kcal of energy in our body functions without any intake of food for 30-40 days, only requiring sufficient water (Ophardt, 2003). Biochemical lipids are stowed in cells all over the body, in specific varieties of connective tissue, named adipose. Lipids protect human organs, such as the spleen, liver, heart, and kidneys, from damage (Church
Lipids that exist in the blood are absorbed through liver cells and provide the correct concentrations to various parts of the body. The liver plays a key and vital role in lipid metabolism (Ophardt, 2003). The liver serves as a substitute reservoir for storing extensive quantities of excess fat. Through prolonged energy overload, the unspent excess energy is stored in adipose tissue and in hepatocytes in the form of triglycerides (Huang
Fatty acids are degraded via oxidation, which releases large amounts of ATP and produces sensitive oxygen (Rosca
Increasing or decreasing levels of lipids cause various health effects in the human body, which are called disorders. These types of disorders usually increase triglyceride, LDL, or both lipid levels. The body requires the useful fatty acid HDL, which helps to transport bad cholesterol out of the body. Similarly, the accumulation of bad and unwanted lipids, such as fatty LDLs and triglyceride, damage the arteries and have serious consequences for cardiovascular health. Recently, Xiao
The discrete lipid metabolic disorders classification varies based on concentrations of classes of lipoproteins, and several disorders are now observable with structural defects in the presence or absence of apolipoproteins and lipid transfer proteins, respectively (Schonfeld, 1990).
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors are a type of lipid, which are also called nuclear fatty acid receptors, that have been associated with playing a vital role in obesity connected to metabolic diseases like coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance (Azhar, 2010). The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors involving regulated pathways that control various lipid disorders were also reported for medical treatment purposes (Lee
The best way of classifying lipid metabolism disorders is descriptively (Table 1), based on the changes in concentration of the various types of lipids. LDL hypercholesterolemia is distinguished from mixed hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and an isolated reduction in HDL cholesterol. All of these lipid metabolism disorders can be associated with elevated lipoprotein(a). The treatment of the individual lipid metabolism disorders is described below.
Table 1 Descriptive classification of the dyslipoproteinemias
LDL hypercholesterolemia | Hypertriglyceridemia | Mixed hyperlipoproteinemia | Low HDL | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cholesterol | Increased | Increased | Increased | Unchanged |
Triglycerides | Unchanged | Increased | Increased | Unchanged |
LDL cholesterol | Increased | Unchanged | Increased | Unchanged |
HDL cholesterol | Unchanged | Decreased | Decreased | Decreased |
Secondary lipid metabolism abnormalities can cause a variety of illnesses. Diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism (LDL hypercholesterolemia), renal illnesses (hypertriglyceridemia, mixed hyperlipoproteinemia, lipoprotein elevation), and cholestatic liver disorders are the most common clinically. Lipid metabolism disorders have also been found in the setting of other illnesses (e.g., lymphoma, Cushing syndrome, and porphyria). When the lipid metabolism problem is a secondary manifestation, the primary emphasis of treatment should be on the underlying illness. People with chronic diabetes or renal illness are frequently outliers to this rule, because adequate control or eradication of the underlying disease is not accomplished, and they exhibit symptoms of both primary and secondary lipid metabolism problems.
Lifestyle changes are important in the treatment of lipid metabolism problems. Regardless of the treatments used, the decrease in high LDL cholesterol concentrations seldom exceeds 10% (Malhotra
According to European recommendations, the target concentration of LDL cholesterol should be determined by the total risk. If lifestyle changes alone are insufficient to achieve this aim, statin medication is the initial step in medical therapy. If the goal LDL cholesterol level is not reached after 4 to 6 weeks of therapy, the dose should be modified. In high-risk individuals, both lifestyle changes and statin therapy should begin at the same time (Catapano
In Germany, other statins (lovastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, pitavastatin) play a limited role. Fluvastatin and pravastatin have lower side effect rates than atorvastatin and simvastatin; thus, they can be used in individuals who cannot take the latter (Stroes
Because of its strong connection with metabolic syndrome, mixed hyperlipoproteinemia, characterized by elevated levels of both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, is the most common lipid metabolism disease in diabetics (Wu and Parhofer, 2014). In this case, too, the primary therapeutic objective is to keep LDL cholesterol levels in check. The essential measure in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia is a change in the patient’s lifestyle. If the combination of lifestyle changes and statin medication does not achieve the desired concentrations, or at least normalize the triglyceride level, combined medical treatment may be explored (Hegele
Triglyceride levels are frequently much higher than normal in isolated hypertriglyceridemia, whereas LDL cholesterol levels are modest. Total cholesterol levels might be high. Isolated hypertriglyceridemia, like mixed hyperlipoproteinemia, typically responds favorably to lifestyle changes. Moreover, there is no way to predict whether a specific patient will react well or poorly. Because no compelling studies have been published, there is no agreement on when medical therapy should begin (Yuan
There is general agreement that if the triglyceride level stays above 400 mg/dL (4.6 mmol/L) despite implementation of lifestyle modification measures, a fibrate can be given. The best options seem to be fenofibrate or gemfibrozil (positive endpoint studies; should not be combined with statins). Alternatively, omega-3 fatty acids can be given, in combination if indicated (Hegele
In general, hyperlipidemia disorders do not have any noticeable symptoms, but they are regularly exposed by the health monitoring process or by routine examination and will cause a stroke or a heart attack if it reaches a dangerous stage. Patients with more than the maximum cholesterol level in the blood will be affected by xanthomas. In this disorder, cholesterol deposits itself under the skin and in the eyes (Shattat, 2014). A raised level of triglycerides was reported at the same time, causing numerous pimples in diverse sites of the patients’ bodies. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a common autosomal-related disorder caused by elevated LDL cholesterol levels at birth. It also causes premature coronary artery disease and requires initial diagnosis to avoid expensive generic pharmacotherapy (McGowan
According to healthcare providers, the well-established stage of lipids in the body causes risk factors for CVD, and the analysis of lipid-screening test results plays a critical role in CVD risk assessment. The Framingham Risk Score is the most widely used authenticated lipid-screening technique (Nelson, 2013). CVD, or coronary heart disease, causes serious health issues, such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke (Joynt
CVD kills one out of every three women. Sex-specific data concentrated on cardiovascular disease has been growing steadily. The average lifetime is reduced due to CVD in women who are at an age of approximately 50 years (≈40%). However, significant causes of CVD are depicted in Fig. 2 (Garcia
Diabetes mellitus is another disorder caused by lipid metabolism that necessitates a continuous health monitoring strategy for long-term survival (Amalan and Vijayakumar, 2015). The impact of insulin on lipid metabolism, which is influenced by diabetes, may be measured in four different ways (Saudek and Eder, 1979). The proposed mechanism exposed the negative and positive effect on insulin in the regulation of triglyceride metabolism.
Lipid metabolism is altered and changes are observed during Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the normal pregnancy period. Hepatic and adipose metabolism alters the concentrations of triacylglycerols, cholesterol, phospholipids, and fatty acids (Amalan
Diabetic dyslipidemia is a collection of many irregularities in fat, both LDL and HDL intolerance levels. This pattern of lipoprotein deviations is extremely atherogenic and is associated with a rise in plasma triglyceride levels. The clinical irregularities take place at a range of plasma triglyceride levels, which represent the upper normal range or mild hypertriglyceridemia (>1.5 mmol/L). In clinical practice, this means that triglyceride levels should be maintained as low as possible in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients (Taskinen
An experimental report on the regulation of lipids with glucose metabolism in the post absorptive and postprandial conditions in six subjects (selective patients or volunteers) with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus, matched with eight non-diabetic volunteers or subjects, involved the investigation of blood or plasma concentrations of metabolites and fluxes across forearm and subcutaneous adipose tissue after an overnight fast and for 6 hours after a mixed meal (3.1 MJ, 41% from fat). The observation revealed that the wider spread of plasma (free) insulin concentrations in the diabetic group led to a wider range of plasma non-esterified fatty acid release from adipose tissue, plasma NEFA concentrations, and blood ketone body concentrations (Frayn
These kinds of lipid-based disorders can be controlled by various methods, such as physical methods, a controlled food system, therapeutic lifestyle changes, drug therapy, and proper health checkups (Fig. 3). Statins are the most potent class of medicine used for cardiovascular diseases. Being cholesterol-lowering drugs, statins are expected to ameliorate the cardiovascular problem, which lowers the acute-phase proteins (Pahan, 2006). Table 2 shows some anti-lipidemia drugs, as well as their mechanisms and side effects (Waller and Waller, 2014; Dias
Table 2 Anti-lipidemia drugs and their mechanism with side effects
Drug | Mechanism | Adverse effects |
---|---|---|
Statins | Limiting the cholesterol formation in the liver, inhibition HMG CoA reductase | Gastrointestinal upset, Liver function tests may become deranged, Myalgia, myositis, muscle symptoms |
Simvastatin, Atorvastatin | ||
Rosuvastatin | ||
Bile acid-binding (anion exchange) resins | All cholesterol from bile acids are reabsorbed | Unpalatable taste, texture of the medication, constipation |
Nicotinic acid and derivatives | Reduce lipolysis and the availability of free fatty acids. | Gastrointestinal disturbance,Vomiting, dyspepsia, headache and dizziness |
Omega-3 fatty acid | Competitively block triglyceride synthesis | Gastrointestinal disturbance, prolonged bleeding time |
Mevastatin | Lowers LDL-C concentration | Depression, anxiety, indigestion |
Lovastatin | Same as above | Headache, rashes, gastrointestinal symptoms |
Pravastatin | Same as above | Depression, anxiety, alopecia |
Clofibrate | Lowers serum TG. concentration | Nausea, diarrhoea, arthralgias |
Gemfibrozil | Lowers plasma TG by 40-55% | Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea |
Fenofibrate | Lowers plasma LDL-C concentration and rise HDL-C concentration | Nausea, constipation, skin rashes |
Ciprofibrate | Same as above | Constipation, skin rashes |
Benzafibrate | Supresses endogenous chol and TG synthesis | Myalgia, diarrhoea, skin rashes |
Simfibrate | Lowers Chol and TG concentration | Skin rashes, nausea, myalgia |
Etofibrate | Lowers VLDL and LDL concentration | Flushing |
Probucol | Lowers plasma Chol by 10-15% | Flatulence, eosinophilia, paresthesia |
Neomycin | Same as above | Malabsorption diarrhoea |
β-Sitosterol | Same as above | Laxative effect, vomiting |
Dextro Thyroxin | Lowers plasma LDL-C concentration | Serious cardiac toxicity |
Aminosalicylic acid | Same as above | Steatorrhea |
Tiadenol | Lowers plasma Chol level | Nausea |
Sorbinicate | Lowers Chol and TG plasma level | Malabsorption |
Cholestyramin | Binds bile acid resulting Chol catabolism | Nausea, indigestion |
Colestipol | Lowers plasma LDL-C levels | Nausea, constipation |
This shows a list of anti-lipidemia drugs and their mechanism in fat or cholesterol control at different parts of body using different metabolic chemicals along with drugs side effects.
The amounts of saturated FAs incorporated in cell membrane phospholipids change, depending on the source of FAs,
Nonetheless, an excess of saturated FAs in cell membranes might cause lipotoxicity. In this context, SCD1 inhibition promotes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and death in cancer cells and reduces tumor development in colon and lung cancer xenograft models. The core regions of tumors are subjected to hypoxia and decreased nutritional availability during tumor development. Tumors have evolved several techniques for balancing the amounts of saturated vs. unsaturated FAs and anticipate lipotoxicity by increasing MUFA/PUFA absorption from plasma, which is then stored in lipid droplets (LDs) or integrated into phospholipids at the cell membranes. Because SCD1 activity requires oxygen, certain cancers rely on the activity of diglyceride acyltransferase (DGAT) during hypoxia to integrate MUFAs into triglyceride (TG), which is then deposited into LDs (Fernandez
A variety of novel methods for the treatment of lipid metabolism diseases have been explored. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) antibodies are particularly significant (Stein
Hyperlipidemia, a major cause of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, is prevalent throughout the world. Numerous studies and reviews have been reported on metabolism, the causes of lipid-based disorders, and the effects of fatty acids. Despite the fact that many drugs are available on the market, society continues to face problems as a result of CVD. To minimize the risk of cardiovascular related heart failure, heart attacks due to hyperlipidemia need novel drugs that can decrease lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. This review mainly focuses on compiling reports on lipids, metabolism, CVD, and diabetes related issues. Still, there is no complete report on lipid metabolism disorders and drug discovery. As a result, this review has been launched with only the most basic reports for further investigation.