Studies in asymptomatic primary hyperlipidaemia II. Clinical findings

A clinical and laboratory examination of abnormalities not attributable to atherosclerosis has been performed on 188 male and 126 female adult subjects with hyperlipidaemia. The sample was recruited from 20000 subjects screened at a health control centre who had an initial serum cholesterol and/or triglyceride (TG) concentration above 350 mg/100 ml and 3.50 mmol/l. All were subjectively healthy and had no history of atherosclerotic disease. Known cases of secondary hyperlipidaemia were excluded. Lipoprotein (LP) analysis with preparative ultracentrifugation and electrophoresis was made on all subjects including control group with "nonelevated" serum lipids. Typing of hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) was performed according to the modified system of Fredrickson et al. Compared to controls, subjects who had elevated very low density ?LP (VLDL) (types II B, III, IV and V) were more obsese, while subjectI B and women with type IV HLP than in the control groups. Arcus corneae was seen in 29% of control groups. Arcus corneae was seen in 29% of controls and in higher frequencies in types II A and II B. A positive correlation existed between the frequency of arcus corneae and the mean low density LP cholesterol in the different types. Multiple tendon xanthomata (n equals 11) were found exclusively in type II A HLP, palmar xanthomata (n equals 3) only in the presence of floating beta-LP and eruptive xanthomata in one male with type V HLP. The mean ESR was increased in all types of HLP. The mean S-GPT and uric acid concentrations were higher in type IV HLP in both sexes than in the control groups. In men with type IV HLP S-GPT was positively correlated to tvldl tg. the uric acid level was correlated to both the VLDL TG concentration and body weight independently. Of the male subjects with HLP 1/3-1/2 had a diabetic or borderline i.v. glucose tolerance.