Table 1 Model variables and abbreviations used in the study

Endogenously produced cholesterol

P _C

Dietary cholesterol intake

I _C

External daily statin dose

S

External daily free phytosterol/-stanol dose

PS

(Steady state) concentration of free cholesterol in the liver

C

VLDL particles

V

Absorbed cholesterol fraction

f _abs

Fraction of produced VLDL cholesterol that re-enters the liver

f _back

Association rate of VLDL particles and free cholesterol to VLDL cholesterol

k _VC

Excretion of cholesterol from the cholesterol pool by bile

k _bile

Excretion of cholesterol through the formation of bile salts

k _salts

Reduction in cholesterol pool size

R _C

Cholesterol pool concentration in absence of statins and phytosterols/-stanols

C ₀

Endogenous produced cholesterol in absence of statins and phytosterols/-stanols

P _C,0

Uptake of dietary cholesterol in absence of statins and phytosterols/-stanols

U _C,0

Absorbed cholesterol fraction in absence of statins and phytosterols/-stanols

f _abs ,₀

Reduction in endogenous cholesterol production

R _P

Reduction in fraction of cholesterol uptake from the diet

R _U

Ratio of exponential rates of different cholesterol elimination routes

ρ _k

VLDL cholesterol production rate

P _VC

Transformation rate of VLDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol

k _VL

(Steady state) VLDL cholesterol concentration

VC

Maximum rate of change in (V)LDL cholesterol due to saturated uptake process

V _max

Michaelis-Menten constant in (V)LDL cholesterol model

K _M

(Steady state) LDL cholesterol concentration

LC

LDL cholesterol production from VLDL cholesterol

P _LC

Clearance rate of LDL cholesterol through non-saturated process

k _n

Maximal achievable reduction in endogenous cholesterol production

R _{P, max}

Half maximum reduction statin dose

S _{P, 1/2}

Maximal achievable reduction in fraction of cholesterol uptake from the diet

R _{U, max}

Half maximum reduction phytosterol/-stanol dose

PS _{U, 1/2}