Many studies have highlighted the important role of PCSK9 in the development of cardiometabolic changes and its possible function as a biomarker of myocardial infarction or ischemic heart disease. This studyaimed to determine the relationship between circulating PCSK9 levels and subclinical vascular changes in the group of low risk patients without manifest cardiovascular diseases.Methods: In this study, 120 healthy patients,free of manifest cardiovascular diseases, diabetesmellitus, and without lipid-lowering therapy,were divided into three groups based on BMI:normal weight (N = 50), overweight (N = 30),and obese (N = 40). Biochemical parameters,including basic lipid and non-lipid ones, wereanalyzed. PCSK9 levels were measured by ELISA,vascular changes were quantified by carotidultrasound (carotid artery intima-media thickness, cIMT), and arterial stiffness parameters(pulse wave velocity, PWV; augmentationindex, AI; stiffness parameter, b) were measuredby an echo-tracking method.

Many studies have highlighted the important role of PCSK9 in the development of cardiometabolic changes and its possible function as a biomarker of myocardial infarction or ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to determine the relationship between circulating PCSK9 levels and subclinical vascular changes in the group of low risk patients without manifest cardiovascular diseases. Methods: In this study, 120 healthy patients, free of manifest cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and without lipid-lowering therapy, were divided into three groups based on BMI: normal weight (N = 50), overweight (N = 30), and obese (N = 40). Biochemical parameters, including basic lipid and non-lipid ones, were analyzed. PCSK9 levels were measured by ELISA, vascular changes were quantified by carotid ultrasound (carotid artery intima-media thickness, cIMT), and arterial stiffness parameters (pulse wave velocity, PWV; augmentation index, AI; stiffness parameter, b) were measured by an echo-tracking method.