Related Experiment Video For Atherosclerosis
Updated: Jul 18, 2025

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
Relationship between the cholesterol and triglyceride content of lipoprotein subclasses and carotid intima-media
Hiroaki Ikezaki1, Norihiro Furusyo2, Masumi Ai3
1Department of Comprehensive General Internal Medicine, Kyushu University Faculty of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka, Japan; Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States; Department of General Internal Medicine, Kyushu Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Background:
The association between lipoprotein subclasses and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) progression has yet to be fully evaluated. We assessed which lipoprotein subclasses were associated with maximum cIMT levels in the general population.
Methods:
In this study, cholesterol and triglyceride content of 20 lipoprotein subclasses were analyzed using gel permeation high-performance liquid chromatography (GP-HPLC) in 864 Japanese women and men (mean age 57 y, free of chronic liver or kidney diseases and off lipid-lowering, hormone replacement, or adrenocorticosteroid medications). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses and univariate and partial correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationships between lipoprotein subclasses and maximum cIMT levels.
Results:
After adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and anti-hypertensive agents, elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-2 and -3 cholesterol (particle diameter 25.5 nm and 23.0 nm, respectively; medium and small LDL) were associated with higher maximum cIMT levels in both women and men (all p for trend < 0.05). These associations were significant even after participants taking anti-diabetic or anti-hypertensive agents were excluded. No significant associations were found between any triglyceride subclasses and maximum cIMT levels.
Conclusions:
Smaller LDL particle cholesterol values are the most atherogenic lipoprotein parameter.
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