Research

Energy balance

Activation of PPARα by fibrate agonists (e.g., fenofibrate, ciprofibrate) reduces plasma triglycerides and LDL-C while increasing HDL-C, primarily by accelerating fatty acid oxidation and ketone body production in the liver.

Fibrates are a class of drugs that activate PPARα to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides while raising good cholesterol (HDL). They work by telling your liver to burn more fat for energy. While diet plays a role in activating these receptors, fibrates provide a potent, targeted activation for those with high lipid levels.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In the fasting state, PPARα accelerates fatty acid formation caused by lipolysis influx in adipose tissue of the liver by regulating the expression of apolipoprotein, thus increasing plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)... Promoting mitochondrial or peroxisomal oxidation in the liver is also vital for PPARα action in protecting the liver from lipotoxicity.
Fan Hong et al. · Molecules · 2019

Why this rating

Supported by multiple gene knockout studies and clinical trials with fibrates, though the paper is a review.

Source

PPARs as Nuclear Receptors for Nutrient and Energy Metabolism

Fan Hong et al. · Molecules · 2019

DOI 10.3390/molecules24142545

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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