Risk factors for premature atherosclerosis

Objectives: to investigate the prevalence of risk factors in patients with premature atherosclerosis. Design: retrospective controlled study. Materials: 135 consecutive patients with premature atherosclerosis less tha n or equal to 55 years (group I) were investigated. A control group compris ed 107 consecutive patients greater than or equal to 65 years (group II) wi th atherosclerosis. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-squared tes t and logistic regression analysis. Results: group I versus group II: diabetes 11% vs. 27% (p=0.001), smoking 8 4% vs. 67% (p=0.002), hypertension 36% vs. 58% (p=0.001), hypercholesterola emia 47% vs. 34% (p =0.04), family history of cardiovascular disease 53% vs . 42 % (p = 0.08). In group I hyperhomocysteinaemia was present in 24 of th e 108 patients tested, anticardiolipin antibodies were present in four of t he 34 tested and coagulation abnormalities were found in four of the 22 pat ients tested. Conclusion: the difference in the prevalence of the different risk factors between the two groups suggests that either certain risk factors are more l ikely to cause premature atherosclerosis, or that other risk factors must b e present in addition to the known risk factors in order to induce prematur e atherosclerosis.