Interestingly, when dividing patients according to statin treatment, we found that the inverse correlations between PCSK9 levels and CD45neg/CD34bright and CD45neg/CD34bright/146neg remained only in patients with diabetes on statin treatment (Rho = − 0.454, p = 0.022 and Rho = − 0.553, p = 0.004 respectively) (Fig. 4). Here, PCSK9 is linked to diabetes mellitus.