ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

International Angiology 2001 March;20(1):47-50

Copyright © 2002 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Worsening lipid profile is associated with progression of carotid artery stenosis

Rittoo D., Cramb R. *, Odogwu S., Khaira H., Duddy M. **, Smith S., Vohra R.

From the Department of Vascular Surgery, * Department of Biochemistry, ** Department of Radiology, Selly Oak Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Selly Oak, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Background. To deter­mine if uncon­trolled hyper­cho­les­ter­o­lae­mia pre­dis­pos­es to pro­gres­sion of carot­id ­artery sten­o­sis.
Methods. Fasting ­blood sam­ples ­were col­lect­ed ­from 76 ­patients ­referred ­for carot­id ­duplex ultra­sound ­for inves­ti­ga­tion of tran­sient ischaem­ic ­attacks or ­recent ­stroke. Patients ­were ­grouped depend­ing on ­the sever­ity of ­the sten­o­sis ­found. Patients on lip­id low­er­ing ­agents ­were exclud­ed. The ­data ­were ana­lysed ­using ­one ­way anal­y­sis of var­i­ance ­and ­the χ2 ­test as appro­pri­ate.
Results. There ­were ­more ­men in ­the 70-99% ­group (15 vs 6, χ2=10.6, p<0.001, Table I). The ­total cho­les­te­rol ­was ­raised in ­all ­three ­groups. Patients ­with carot­id sten­o­sis of 70-99% ­had sig­nif­i­cant­ly ele­vat­ed tri­gly­ce­rides (2.4 ­mmol vs 1.47 ­mmol ­and 1.37 ­mmol, p<0.003), ­low ­HDL (1.14 ­mmol vs 1.45 ­mmol ­and 1.18 ­mmol, p<0.003) ­and a high­er cho­les­te­rol/­HDL ­ratio (5.56 vs 4.29 ­and 4.71, p<0.014) com­pared ­with ­the oth­er ­two ­groups. There ­was no dif­fer­ence in lip­o­pro­tein(a) in ­the ­three ­groups.
Conclusions. Increased tri­gly­ce­rides ­and ­low ­HDL cho­les­te­rol ­seen in ­the 70-99% ­group sug­gest ­that a wors­en­ing lip­id pro­file is asso­ciat­ed ­with pro­gres­sion of carot­id ­artery sten­o­sis.