Lipidomics is a new frontier of omics research and offers much promise for new-generation
biomarkers for common complex phenotypes such as
hyperlipidemia (HL) and
cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). HL is a disorder characterized by increased levels of blood
lipids and is a well-established risk factor for CVD. Traditional
clinical markers for prognosis of hyperlipidemic individuals are inadequate to forecast or diagnose
cardiac events. In this expert review, lipidomic profiles from recent HL and CVD studies were compared with the normolipidemic profile prepared from the Standard Reference Material. Our analysis showed that
palmitoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine [LPC(16:0)], the most abundant LPC species in normolipidemic plasma, decreases in HL causative conditions such as high-fat diet,
obesity, and diabetes. This is accompanied by increase in
free fatty acids (FFAs) and
ceramides (Cers). HL was also found to be characterized by increase in small-chain,
saturated fatty acid content of
diacylglycerols,
triacylglycerols, and
phosphatidylcholines (PCs). These factors were also associated with increased CVD risk. The decrease in LPC(16:0) in HL and CVD is consistent with its role in regulation of
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, an approved HL
drug target that impacts the uptake and oxidation of
fatty acids. FFAs are involved in endothelial-dependent
nitric oxide production and activation of nuclear factor κB signaling. Cers control uptake and anabolic catabolism of nutrients in tissues. However, additional studies are required to establish the range of normal and disease levels of the identified
lipids in different populations and conditions. In all, these observations underscore that lipidomics deserves greater research attention from the
biomarker and
precision medicine research communities.