To evaluate the magnitude of the effect of statin therapy on plasma proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) levels through a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.A random-effects model (using DerSimonian-Laird method) and the generic inverse variance method were used for quantitative data synthesis. Heterogeneity was quantitatively assessed using the I(2) index. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using the one-study remove approach. Random-effects meta-regression was performed using an unrestricted maximum likelihood method to evaluate the association between statin-induced elevation of plasma PCSK9 concentrations with duration of treatment and magnitude of LDL cholesterol reduction.A total of 15 clinical trials examining the effects of statin therapy on plasma PCSK9 levels were included. Meta-analysis of data from single-arm statin treatment arms [weighted mean difference (WMD) 40.72 ng/ml, 95% confidence interval (CI) 34.79, 46.65; p