Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein phospholipids correlate inverselywith severity of angiographically defined coronary artery disease

In an attempt to assess the relationship between lipid abnormalities and se verity of coronary artery disease, we measured serum levels of cholesterol (SC), triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (SP), low density lipoprotein chole sterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) high dens ity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high density lipoprotein phospholi pids (HDL-P), in 217 men undergoing diagnostic coronary arteriography. We f ound significantly higher mean values of HDL-P and HDL-C in men with normal coronaries, but no significant differences in the other measured lipids. W hile there was no significant difference in HDL-C among patients with one, two or three-vessel disease, there was a negative correlation between HDL-P levels and the severity of the disease. These observations suggest that pr ospective studies would be of merit to establish the relevance of HDL-P in the development of coronary artery disease. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Irela nd Ltd. All rights reserved.