High-density lipoprotein particle concentration and subclinical atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries in Japanese men.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The association of high-density lipoprotein particle (HDL-P) with atherosclerosis may be stronger than that of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Whether associations persist in populations at low risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) remains unclear. This study examines the associations of HDL-P and HDL-C with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque counts among Japanese men, who characteristically have higher HDL-C levels and a lower CHD burden than those in men of Western populations.

METHODS:

We cross-sectionally examined a community-based sample of 870 Japanese men aged 40-79 years, free of known clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and not on lipid-lowering medication. Participants were randomly selected among Japanese living in Kusatsu City in Shiga, Japan.

RESULTS:

Both HDL-P and HDL-C were inversely and independently associated with cIMT in models adjusted for conventional CHD risk factors, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and diabetes. HDL-P maintained an association with cIMT after further adjustment for HDL-C (P < 0.01), whereas the association of HDL-C with cIMT was noticeably absent after inclusion of HDL-P in the model. In plaque counts of the carotid arteries, HDL-P was significantly associated with a reduction in plaque count, whereas HDL-C was not.

CONCLUSION:

HDL-P, in comparison to HDL-C, is more strongly associated with measures of carotid atherosclerosis in a cross-sectional study of Japanese men. Findings demonstrate that, HDL-P is a strong correlate of subclinical atherosclerosis even in a population at low risk for CHD.

• Authors: Maryam Zaid, Akira Fujiyoshi, Katsuyuki Miura, Robert D Abbott, Tomonori Okamura, Naoyuki Takashima, Sayuki Torii, Yoshino Saito, Takashi Hisamatsu, Naoko Miyagawa, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Aya Kadota, Akira Sekikawa, Hiroshi Maegawa, Yasuyuki Nakamura, Kenichi Mitsunami, Hirotsugu Ueshima, SESSA Research group
• Journal: Atherosclerosis (Atherosclerosis) Vol. 239 Issue 2 Pg. 444-50 (Apr 2015) ISSN: 1879-1484 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 25687270 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Cholesterol, HDL
• Cholesterol, LDL
• Lipoproteins, HDL

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Asian People
• Asymptomatic Diseases
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Carotid Arteries (diagnostic imaging)
• Carotid Artery Diseases (blood, diagnostic imaging, ethnology)
• Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
• Cholesterol, HDL (blood)
• Cholesterol, LDL (blood)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Humans
• Japan
• Lipoproteins, HDL (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Plaque, Atherosclerotic
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis
• Risk Factors