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Updated: May 8, 2026

Isolation and Analysis of Plasma Lipoproteins by Ultracentrifugation
Published on: January 28, 2021
Circulating concentrations of GLP-1 are associated with coronary atherosclerosis in humans
Katja Piotrowski1, Melanie Becker, Julia Zugwurst
1Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. mlehrke@ukaachen.de.
Background:
GLP-1 is an incretine hormone which gets secreted from intestinal L-cells in response to nutritional stimuli leading to pancreatic insulin secretion and suppression of glucagon release. GLP-1 further inhibits gastric motility and reduces appetite which in conjunction improves postprandial glucose metabolism. Additional vasoprotective effects have been described for GLP-1 in experimental models. Despite these vasoprotective actions, associations between endogenous levels of GLP-1 and cardiovascular disease have yet not been investigated in humans which was the aim of the present study.
Methods:
GLP-1 serum levels were assessed in a cohort of 303 patients receiving coronary CT-angiography due to typical or atypical chest pain.
Results:
GLP-1 was found to be positively associated with total coronary plaque burden in a fully adjusted model containing age, sex, BMI, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, triglycerides, LDL-C (low density lipoprotein cholesterol), hsCRP (high-sensitive C-reactive protein), and eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) (OR: 2.53 (95% CI: 1.12 - 6.08; p = 0.03).
Conclusion:
Circulating GLP-1 was found to be positivity associated with coronary atherosclerosis in humans. The clinical relevance of this observation needs further investigations.
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