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Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemic patients have increased arterial stiffness, as determined using the

Nuria Plana1, Raimon Ferré, Jordi Merino

  • 1Vascular Medicine and Metabolism Unit, Lipids and Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Sant Joan University Hospital, Institut d' Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain.

Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis
|December 2, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) patients show increased arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular risk marker. Augmentation index (AIx) correlates with lipid levels and predicts arterial wall thickness in FH.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a genetic disorder leading to high cholesterol levels and increased cardiovascular risk.
  • Arterial stiffness is a recognized indicator of cardiovascular risk and a marker of vascular damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate arterial stiffness in patients with heterozygous FH.
  • To explore the association between arterial stiffness and biochemical/vascular parameters in FH patients.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study including 125 FH patients and 59 controls.
  • Assessment of arterial stiffness using augmentation index (AIx) via peripheral artery tonometry.
  • Measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and ankle-brachial index (ABI).

Main Results:

  • FH patients exhibited significantly higher AIx and cIMT compared to controls.
  • AIx positively correlated with LDLc, non-HDLc, apolipoprotein B100, triglycerides, and sE-selectin.
  • AIx was an independent determinant of cIMT, influenced by apolipoprotein B100, systolic blood pressure, and glucose.

Conclusions:

  • FH patients demonstrate increased arterial stiffness, indicating subclinical vascular dysfunction.
  • Augmentation index (AIx) is linked to lipid profiles and predicts arterial wall changes in FH.
  • AIx serves as a valuable vascular risk marker for FH patients.
Abstract

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