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Serum lipids and coronary heart disease in British elderly
1Department of Medicine for the Elderly, Barnsley District General Hospital, UK.
Insights
In elderly individuals, higher total cholesterol and LDL-C are linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) in women, while higher HDL-C is protective in men. Further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a significant health concern in the elderly population.
- Understanding the role of serum lipids in CHD pathogenesis in older adults is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum lipid profiles (total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C) and the presence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in an elderly cohort.
- To identify sex-specific relationships between lipid levels and CHD in individuals aged 70-92 years.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 84 elderly patients with myocardial infarction and 125 age- and sex-matched controls without CHD.
- Serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C) were measured.
- Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to assess associations, controlling for other relevant factors.
Main Results:
- In males, CHD showed an inverse association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).
- In females, CHD was positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
- Diabetes in males and left ventricular hypertrophy in females were also significantly associated with CHD.
Conclusions:
- Serum lipid profiles exhibit differential associations with CHD in elderly men and women.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering sex-specific lipid management in preventing CHD in older populations.
- Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these relationships and inform clinical practice.
Abstract:
To assess the relationship between serum lipids and coronary heart disease (CHD) in an elderly population (mean age = 77.4; SEM +/- 0.4; range 70-92 years), serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured in 84 (males = 52) subjects with evidence of definite myocardial infarction and 125 (males = 77) age- and sex-matched controls free of CHD on Rose questionnaire and resting electrocardiogram. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, CHD showed inverse association with HDL-C (odds ratio for decrease by 1 s.d. = 1.6, P = 0.02) in males and positive association with TC (odds ratio for increase by 1 s.d. = 1.8, P = 0.03) and LDL-C (odds ratio for increase by 1 s.d. = 1.8, P = 0.04) in females. Of the other variables only diabetes in males (odds ratio 2.4, P = 0.05) and left ventricular hypertrophy in females (odds ratio 8.8, P = 0.03) were associated with CHD. The results suggest that further prospective studies to further evaluate the relation of serum lipids with CHD in this age group are indicated.