ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have demonstrated that lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] plays an important role in atherothrombogenesis and to be associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the distribution of Lp (a) and its association with cardiovascular risk factors, by conducting a cross sectional survey of 14,516 apparently healthy Koreans. The study group consisted of 8,007 men and 6,509 women, aged 20 years and over. RESULTS: The mean, medium and 75th percentile Lp (a) levels were 20.1, 13.2 and 23.8 mg/dL, respectively. The distribution of Lp (a) was highly skewed toward a lower level. The Lp (a) level was positively associated with age (p<0.001) and low density lipoprotein (LDL)(p<0.001). The body mass index (BMI)(p=0.006), log (triglyceride)(p<0.001) and alcohol consumption more than 3 times per week (p<0.047) were inversely related to the Lp (a) level. However, no relationship was seen with smoking, gender, exercise, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP). CONCLUSION: The Lp (a) level was positively associated with age and low density lipoprotein (LDL). The body mass index (BMI) and log (triglyceride) were inversely related to the Lp (a) level. However, the association between Lp (a) and cardiovascular disease in the general Korean population should be confirmed via large scale prospective cohort studies.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Alcohol Drinking , Body Mass Index , C-Reactive Protein , Cardiovascular Diseases , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Lipoprotein(a) , Lipoproteins , Risk Factors , Smoke , SmokingABSTRACT
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) has reached epidemic proportions and has been attributed as the foremost cause of mortality worldwide. In the search for the causative factors, both genetic and non-genetic, Lipoprotein (a) has emerged as a powerful predictor for premature CAD. Lp(a) is a macromolecular complex found in human serum, strictly under genetic control, highly variable and resembling the low density lipoprotein cholesterol. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate its predictive role by estimating its levels in patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed by angiographic procedure. It was observed that Lp(a) levels increase with increasing severity of the disease albeit insignificantly. The observations made in the present study need to be substantiated by large scale studies.