ARTERIAL DAMAGE, TRIGLYCERIDES, APOLIPOPROTEIN, AND LP(A) VALUES IN PVD PATIENTS

The aim of the study was to provide a detailed apolipoproteic profile in stage II peripheral vascular disease (PVD) patients and to ascertai n whether lower ankle/ arm pressure index (API) values were associated with a worse profile. Apolipoproteins of 83 stage II PVD patients (av erage age 64.7 +/- 9.3 years) were selected and compared with those of a group of 44 normal control subjects, similar in terms of age, sex, and smoking and eating habits. Neither PVD patients nor controls had e ver received lipid-lowering agents or defined dietary treatment. A dia gnosis of PVD was confirmed by an API of <0.85. Arteriopathic patients were also split into two groups. depending on their API values, simil ar in terms of age, sex and smoking habits: API values of one group (n = 38) were greater than or equal to 0.6, those of the other group (n = 45) were <0.6. The following biohumoral parameters were considered: fasting glycemia, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C): low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), total chol esterol (TC)/HDL-C (TC/ HDL-C), Apoproteins (Apos) Al, AII, B, CII, CI II, and E; and Lipoprotein a [Lp(a)]. HDL-C and Apo Al were lower (p < 0.01), while TC/ HDL-C ratios, Apo B, and Apo CII were higher (p < 0. 01) in PVD patients compared with controls. The comparison between the two PVD groups with different API values showed higher brood TG and V LDL-C values for the patients with lower API values (p < 0.05), indica ting a relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and greater arterial damage.