Various polymorphisms (A632V, T400K, D19H, M429V, and C54Y) in the ABCG8 and ABCG5 (Q604E) gene have been found to be associated with several facets of cholesterol metabolism, including baseline cholesterol level, cholesterol kinetics, individual responsiveness of plasma cholesterol to dietary and pharmaceutical interventions for hypercholesterolemia, and increased risk of gallstones.
It is supposed that the coexistence of higher insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia for carriers of the D19H polymorphism may result in a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
These results suggest that, in patients with hypercholesterolemia, the ABCG8 D19H variant is associated with greater LDLC-lowering response to atorvastatin therapy.