LDL-C/HDL-C ratio can correlate with coronary artery disease severity in STEMI patients: BMC

China: In a new study conducted by Po Gao and the team, it was shown that in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is closely linked to the severity of coronary artery disease than the non-HDL-C and LDL-C ratios. The findings of this study were published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.

The rise in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is usually regarded as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) has been proposed as a secondary target for lipid-lowering medication in recent years. However, despite increased study into the association between LDL-C/HDL-C and atherosclerosis, it remains unclear which index is most closely connected to the severity of acute STEMI.

901 individuals who had coronary angiography for chest discomfort were chosen. The test group consisted of 772 individuals with STEMI, whereas the control group consisted of 129 patients with generally normal coronary angiography. After admission, the researchers assessed fasting blood lipids and other indications and used the Gensini score to estimate the degree of coronary artery disease.

The key findings of this study were as follows:

1. The LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C indices differed statistically between the two patient groups.

2. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), LDL-C, arteriosclerosis index (AI), HDL-C, non-HDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C are all linked with the patients' Gensini score in the test group.

3. LDL-C/HDL-C exhibited the highest association with the patient's Gensini score after using the stepwise approach of multiple linear regression analysis.

4. According to ROC curve research, LDL-C/HDL-C can predict whether individuals with chest discomfort have STEMI.

5. LDL-C/HDL-C is a useful indicator for predicting whether patients with chest discomfort have STEMI when the cutoff value is 2.15, the sensitivity is 0.845, and the specificity is 0.202.

In conclusion, the Authors found that LDL-C/HDL-C performs better than non-HDL-C in not only assessing the degree of coronary artery disease in STEMI patients but also in predicting whether patients with chest discomfort had STEMI.

Reference:

Gao, P., Wen, X., Ou, Q., & Zhang, J. (2022). Which one of LDL-C /HDL-C ratio and non-HDL-C can better predict the severity of coronary artery disease in STEMI patients. In BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (Vol. 22, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-022-02760-0