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[Cholesterol--a marker for multiple risk factors? A comparison between coronary disease and coronary health]
B R Winkelmann1, B Kaiser, A Regeniter
1Abteilung für Kardiologie, Universität Frankfurt/Main.
Insights
In younger patients, high total cholesterol indicates multiple risk factors for coronary artery disease (CHD). Age significantly influences cholesterol levels in patients with CHD and other risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Cross-sectional study comparing patients with and without coronary artery disease (CHD) against healthy controls.
- Investigated risk factors associated with CHD in different age groups.
- Utilized coronary arteriography to confirm or exclude CHD.
Purpose:
- To assess potential risk factors for coronary artery disease (CHD).
- To determine the relationship between total cholesterol levels, age, and other risk factors in CHD patients.
- To compare risk factor profiles across patient groups.
Summary:
- Younger patients (31-40 years) with CHD exhibited significantly higher total cholesterol and more risk factors than age-matched controls (P < 0.001).
- In older patients (61-70 years), total cholesterol levels in CHD patients were comparable to those without CHD and healthy controls.
- Elevated total cholesterol concentration was found to correlate with the presence of other risk factors, suggesting an interplay between these elements.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical role of age and co-existing risk factors in modulating total cholesterol levels in coronary artery disease.
- Provides insights into the complex multifactorial nature of CHD development.
- Emphasizes the importance of considering age-specific cholesterol profiles and multiple risk factors in CHD assessment.
Abstract:
Comparison was made in a cross-sectional study between 658 patients in whom coronary arteriography had shown (n = 304) or excluded coronary artery disease (CHD) (n = 354) and a clinically healthy group as controls (n = 1658), to assess possible risk factors. Patients aged 31-40 years with CHD had the highest total cholesterol levels (286 +/- 43 mg/dl) and the highest number of risk factors (3.6 +/- 0.9) compared to patients without CHD of the same age (204 +/- 30 mg/dl; 2.0 +/- 0.5) and healthy controls (216 +/- 45 mg/dl; 1.7 +/- 0.5) (P less than 0.001). In older patients with CHD, total cholesterol levels were lower (age group 61-70 years: 231 +/- 49 mg/dl), reaching about the same level as that of patients without CHD (232 +/- 54 mg/dl) or healthy controls of the same age (228 +/- 55 mg/dl). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that increased total cholesterol concentration can indicate the presence of other risk factors. It would thus appear that the level of total cholesterol in patients with CHD is decisively influenced by age and the presence of other risk factors.