Atherosclerotic risk factors, ie perturbed serum lipids and whole-body cholesterol metabolism, remain unknown in cardiac sarcoidosis (CS).
Cholesterol metabolism was evaluated in 39 patients with histologically verified CS and in an age- adjusted random population sample (n = 124).
Cholesterol absorption was upregulated and cholesterol synthesis downregulated in CS. Serum lipids were similar between groups.
High cholesterol absorption efficiency, suggested to be atherogenic, characterised the metabolic profile of cholesterol in CS.