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Published on: October 12, 2017

Can dysfunctional HDL explain high coronary artery disease risk in South Asians?

Sunita Dodani1, Rajwinderjit Kaur, Srinavasa Reddy

  • 1Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA. sdodani@mcg.edu

International Journal of Cardiology
|February 8, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is prevalent in South Asian immigrants and linked to sub-clinical coronary artery disease (CAD). This finding highlights a potential new risk factor for CAD in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Immunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) poses a significant health burden, particularly in South Asian immigrants (SAIs) who exhibit higher risk.
  • Traditional CAD risk factors do not fully account for the elevated risk observed in SAIs.
  • Investigating novel risk factors like dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is crucial for understanding CAD pathogenesis in SAIs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence of dysfunctional, pro-inflammatory HDL in SAIs.
  • To determine the association between dysfunctional HDL and sub-clinical CAD, using carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) as a marker.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving SAIs aged 40-65 years.
  • Sub-clinical CAD was quantified using carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).
  • Dysfunctional HDL was identified using a cell-free assay and the HDL inflammatory index.

Main Results:

  • Dysfunctional HDL was present in 50% of participants (HDL-inflammatory index ≥1.00).
  • Sub-clinical CAD (carotid IMT ≥0.80 mm) was observed in 41.4% of participants.
  • Logistic regression revealed a significant association between positive carotid IMT and dysfunctional HDL, even after adjusting for traditional risk factors (p=0.030).

Conclusions:

  • HDL functionality is a critical component in CAD risk assessment.
  • SAIs with dysfunctional HDL, even without diagnosed CAD, represent a high-risk group.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the association between dysfunctional HDL and CAD development.
Abstract

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