Statin Therapy Alters the Distribution of the LDL-C/HDL-C Ratio: A Weibull Modeling Study

Background Cardiovascular disease remains a major global health burden, and quantitative lipid indicators are essential for accurate risk stratification. Among these, the low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein (LDL/HDL) cholesterol ratio is a stronger predictor of atherosclerotic risk than LDL-C or HDL-C alone. Although statins effectively reduce LDL-C levels, adherence remains suboptimal in real-world settings. Because atherosclerosis reflects progressive vascular deterioration, Weibull modeling—commonly used to describe aging and failure processes—offers a quantitative framework for evaluating lipid dynamics beyond mean-based analyses. This study examined the relationship between the LDL/HDL ratio and atherosclerotic progression using Weibull analysis and assessed the influence of statin therapy on its statistical behavior. Methods Ninety-eight patients were classified into statin-treated (STG, n = 50) and non–statin-treated (no-STG, n = 48) groups. The LDL/HDL ratio was analyzed using Weibull modeling to estimate shape (α) and scale (β) parameters. Results In the no-STG group, the LDL/HDL ratio approximated a Gaussian distribution (r = 0.99, α = 3.56). In contrast, the STG group showed a Rayleigh-type distribution (r = 0.98, β = 0.76, α = 2.04). Conclusions These findings suggest that statin therapy alters the distributional structure of lipid ratios and support an LDL/HDL ratio of 2.5 as a clinically meaningful threshold for risk stratification.