Clinical chemical indexes and severity of coronary atherosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Diagnostic Biomarkers

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis and severity assessment are critical in cardiovascular medicine.
• Traditional lipid profiles, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), are routinely measured.
• The predictive value of individual lipid components versus lipid ratios for CAD severity requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between various lipid parameters and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).
• To identify the most sensitive lipid-derived ratio for detecting mild CAD.
• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of individual lipid levels versus lipid ratios in CAD assessment.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) in 261 participants.
• Calculation of lipid ratios: LDL/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and HDL-C/TC * 100.
• Correlation analysis between lipid parameters/ratios and coronary arteriography-determined CAD severity.

Main Results:

• Individual lipid levels (TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C) showed no significant relationship with CAD severity.
• Lipid ratios, specifically LDL/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, and HDL-C/TC * 100, were statistically associated with CAD severity.
• The LDL/HDL-C ratio demonstrated the highest sensitivity (77.7%) and predictive value (83.3%) for mild CAD, with a cut-off of 3.20.

Conclusions:

• Lipid ratios, particularly LDL/HDL-C, are more effective indicators of coronary artery disease severity than individual lipid measurements.
• The LDL/HDL-C ratio is a valuable and sensitive biomarker for identifying mild coronary artery disease.
• Routine assessment of lipid ratios may improve the diagnostic accuracy for early-stage CAD.