Lipids and fatty acids and their relationship to restenosis

One hundred consecutive patients had fasting lipids and percutaneous fat biopsy performed at the time of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to determine if there was an association between restenosis and lipids or fatty acids. Angiographic follow-up and complete lipid and fatty acid results were available in 82 patients. Restenosis occurred in 37/82 (45%). Total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and apolipoproteins A1 and B were not associated with restenosis. There was a significantly lower level of the monounsaturated fat palmitoleic acid (p less than 0.02), a trend towards a lower level of the monounsaturated fat oleic acid (p less than 0.09), and a trend towards a higher level of the saturated fat palmitic acid (p less than 0.08) in the restenosis group. The polyunsaturated fatty acids were not associated with restenosis. We conclude that lipids are not significantly associated with restenosis, and that lower levels of monounsaturated fatty acids may increase the risk of restenosis.