News Release

Building Block Of Cholesterol May Be Better Way To Determine Women's Risk For Coronary Artery Disease

Peer-Reviewed Publication

American Heart Association

DALLAS, Texas, July 10 -- Blood levels of a certain protein in cholesterol may be a better predictor than total cholesterol in determining a woman's certain protein as well as a man's cholesterol risk for heart disease, according to a report in today's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The protein, known as apolipoprotein B (apoB), can be measured through traditional blood tests. Normally, blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) -- the "bad" cholesterol -- are used to help determine heart disease risk. Scientists from University Hospital Utrecht in the Netherlands say the measurement of apoB may be an even better predictor than just measuring levels of LDL.

H. Tineke Westerveld, M.D., lead author of the study, notes that while research already shows that apoB can be a predictor for heart disease in men, few studies have focused on apoB in women.

Westerveld says that the women in her study who were found to have coronary artery disease (CAD) not only had higher levels of apoB in their blood, but also were older, had higher incidences of diabetes and high blood pressure, were smokers, and had higher blood levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of fat. Also, 95 percent of the women found to have CAD were post-menopausal and few had ever been on hormone replacement therapy.

However, when only cholesterol levels and apoB levels were considered, "apoB was superior to cholesterol, LDL, HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol), and triglycerides" in determining risk for CAD. "The role of apoB as an important risk factor is biologically plausible, since blood plasma apoB concentrations reflect the number of LDL, VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein, also "bad") and triglyceride particles in the arteries," says Westerveld.

In regard to how women with elevated apoB levels can be treated, Westerveld says, "It remains to be determined which interventions will provide the best strategy." Choices of treatment, according to Westerveld, include hormone replacement therapy, cholesterol-lowering drugs or some combination of both. The five-year study involved 289 women undergoing their first coronary angiography, an X-ray examination of the blood vessels or chambers of the heart.

###

NR 98-4925 (Arterio/Westerveld)

Media advisory: Dr. Westerveld can be reached by phone at 31-30-250-9232 or by fax at 31-30-251-8328.
(Please do not publish numbers.)

###



Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.