Genetic epidemiology; Mendelian randomization; biomarkers; lipid metabolism; metabolic syndrome; diabetes; hematology; quality assessment.

Genetic epidemiology; Mendelian randomization; biomarkers; lipid metabolism; metabolic syndrome; diabetes.

Using data from large general population studies with more than 100 000 participants (the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study) and Mendelian randomization as study design, my current research focuses on identifying causal factors contributing to risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, neurologic diseases, and infection.

Recent guidelines on cholesterol lowering therapy recommend that patients are treated to very low levels of LDL-cholesterol. It has been suggested that very low LDL-cholesterol levels may be associated with risk of disease. Because of this, we examine whether low LDL-cholesterol levels cause increased risk of cancer, neurologic diseases, and diabetes mellitus.

I’m a member of the American Heart Association, Scandinavian Society for Atherosclerosis Research, European Atherosclerosis Society, and the Danish Society of Clinical Biochemistry; and am chairman for the Scientific Committee for Quality Assurance in Clinical Biochemistry.

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