LIPID ABNORMALITIES IN GREEK PATIENTS WITH CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

Lipid abnormalities are major risk factors for premature coronary arte ry disease (CAD). However, the type and prevalence of dyslipidemia in these patients have not been well characterised, especially in some et hnic groups. The purpose of the present work was to determine the lipi d disorders in patients of Northwestern Greece with premature CAD. The study population comprised of 132 men and 38 women who underwent elec tive diagnostic arteriography in our University Hospital. Subjects wit h greater than or equal to 1 lesion that narrowed the lumen of any of the 15 coronary artery segments by greater than or equal to 70% were c onsidered to be CAD cases (n=108), whereas those with narrowing <70% w ere excluded (n=54). Asymptomatic subjects (n=104) matched for age and sex were taken as controls. Compared with the controls, patients with premature CAD had increased serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL ch olesterol, triglycerides, Apo B, and Lp(a), and decreased serum levels of HDL cholesterol and Apo A1. A lipoprotein or apolipoprotein abnorm ality was identified in 89 CAD patients (82.4%). The increased serum A po B level (>130 mg/dl) was the most common lipid abnormality observed in 72 patients. However, the most prevalent dyslipidemic phenotypes i n our patients were type IIA followed by hypoalpha and hyperApoB. Comp ared to the control population, CAD patients had increased incidence o f IIA and hypoalpha phenotypes. On the contrary, a normal lipoprotein phenotype was more common in the control population compared to CAD pa tients (56.7% vs. 17.6%, P<0.001). We conclude that the majority of Cr eek patients with premature CAD exhibit lipid and lipoprotein abnormal ities, which to a large extent can be defined by determining the tradi tional lipid parameters (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL chole sterol and triglycerides). However, in some cases the value of the qua ntification of other lipid parameters such as apolipoproteins and Lp(a ) should be taken into account. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.