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Lipoprotein (a) and lipid and non-lipid risk factors in coronaries risk assessment

Lucia Agoşton-Coldea1, L D Rusu, D Zdrenghea

  • 1Department of Medical Sciences, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. luciacoldea@yahoo.com

Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine = Revue Roumaine De Medecine Interne
|March 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. High Lp(a) levels predict coronary heart disease risk better than traditional lipid fractions.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a recognized predictor of cardiovascular risk.
  • Understanding the relationship between Lp(a), lipids, and other risk factors is crucial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Lp(a) levels, lipid profiles, and other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with and without coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To determine if Lp(a) serves as an independent predictor of CHD.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 208 patients (aged 37-75) with or without a history of myocardial infarction.
  • Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors, plasma lipid fractions, and Lp(a) levels.
  • Logistic regression analysis to assess the relationship between Lp(a) and lipid/non-lipid risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Patients with myocardial infarction exhibited significantly higher plasma Lp(a) and LDL-C levels, and a higher TC/HDL-C ratio, compared to those without CHD.
  • The myocardial infarction group also showed significantly lower HDL-C levels.
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed Lp(a), LDL-C, and TC/HDL-C ratio as independent predictors of CHD, with a significant association between high Lp(a) and the extent of coronary artery involvement.

Conclusions:

  • High plasma Lp(a) levels are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  • Lp(a) offers superior risk prediction for CHD compared to conventional lipid fractions.
  • Lp(a) is a valuable marker for cardiovascular risk assessment in clinical practice.
Abstract

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