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The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between adiponectin levels and incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). We performed a prospective case-control analysis nested in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Participants were apparently healthy men and women 45 to 79 years of age who developed fatal or nonfatal CHD during an average follow-up period of 7.7 ± 1.1 years. In total 1,035 participants with incident CHD were matched for age, gender, and enrollment time to 1,920 controls who remained free of CHD over the study follow-up. Baseline nonfasting plasma adiponectin concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adiponectin levels were lower in participants with CHD than in matched controls (men 8.74 vs 9.13 μg/ml, p = 0.01; women 12.6 vs 13.4 μg/ml, p = 0.03). A 1-μg/ml increment in adiponectin was associated with decreased CHD risk (odds ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.63 to 0.96, p = 0.02, in men; odds ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.55 to 0.96, p = 0.03, in women). However, this association was no longer significant after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors. Stratification of participants according to metabolic syndrome status showed that men and women with metabolic syndrome had a higher CHD risk, irrespective of their adiponectin levels. In conclusion, although a low adiponectin concentration is associated with an increased CHD risk, findings of the present study do not suggest that its measurement is useful to refine CHD risk assessment once traditional risk factors and clinical features of the metabolic syndrome have been considered., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Results of well-controlled prospective clinical trials showed the efficacy of lipid-lowering therapies in the reduction of cardiovascular (CV) events in western populations, but they were not reported with a Chinese population. This multicenter study was conducted to determine the effects of Xuezhikang (XZK), a partially purified extract of red yeast rice, on lipoprotein and CV end points in Chinese patients who experienced a previous myocardial infarction. Nearly 5,000 of these patients with average low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at baseline were randomly assigned either to placebo or to XZK daily for an average of 4.5 years. The primary end point was a major coronary event that included nonfatal myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease. Frequencies of the primary end point were 10.4% in the placebo group and 5.7% in the XZK-treated group, with absolute and relative decreases of 4.7% and 45%, respectively. Treatment with XZK also significantly decreased CV and total mortality by 30% and 33%, the need for coronary revascularization by 1/3, and lowered total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, but raised high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In conclusion, long-term therapy with XZK significantly decreased the recurrence of coronary events and the occurrence of new CV events and deaths, improved lipoprotein regulation, and was safe and well tolerated.

We tested the hypothesis that gemfibrozil has a differential effect on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclass distributions and postprandial lipemia that is different in subjects classified as having LDL subclass pattern A or LDL pattern B who do not have a classic lipid disorder. Forty-three normolipemic subjects were randomized to gemfibrozil (1,200 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Lipids and lipoproteins were determined by enzymatic methods. The mass concentrations of lipoproteins in plasma were determined by analytic ultracentrifugation and included the S(f) intervals: 20 to 400 (very LDL), 12 to 20 (intermediate-density lipoprotein), 0 to 12 (LDL), and HDL(2) mass (F(1.20) 3.5 to 9.0) and HDL(3) mass (F(1.20) 0 to 3.5). Postprandial measurements of triglycerides and lipoprotein(a) were taken after the patients consumed a 500 kcal/M(2) test meal. Treatment with gemfibrozil, compared with placebo, significantly reduced fasting plasma triglycerides (difference from placebo +/- SE; -50.2 +/- 20.6 mg/dl, p = 0.02), total cholesterol (-16.4 +/- 7.5 mg/dl, p = 0.04), apolipoprotein B (-16.1 +/- 5.5 mg/dl, p = 0.006), very LDL mass of S(f) 20 to 400 (-50.8 +/- 24.1 mg/dl, p = 0.02), S(f) 20 to 60 (-17.5 +/- 8.5 mg/dl, p = 0.05), S(f) 60 to 100 (-16.2 +/- 8.1 mg/dl, p = 0.05), and increased peak S(F) (0.48 +/- 0.27 Svedberg, p = 0.08). Gemfibrozil reduced the postprandial triglyceride level significantly at 3 (p = 0.04) and 4 (p = 0.05) hours after the test meal. A significantly different subclass response to gemfibrozil was observed in those with LDL pattern A versus B. Those with LDL pattern B had a significantly greater reduction in the small LDL mass S(f) 0 to 7 (p = 0.04), specifically regions S(f) 0 to 3 (p = 0.009) and S(f) 3 to 5 (p = 0.009). In conclusion, normolipemic subjects with either predominantly dense or buoyant LDL respond differently to gemfibrozil as determined by the changes in LDL subclass distribution. Thus, treatment with gemfibrozil may have additional antiatherogenic effects in those with LDL pattern B by decreasing small dense LDL that is not apparent in those with pattern A.

Atorvastatin (10 to 20 mg/day) was administered for 3 months to 15 outpatients (average age 58 +/- 4 years) with hypercholesterolemia accompanied by hypertriglyceridemia without hypolipemic treatment. Changes in lipid profile, particularly oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (malondialdehyde LDL), subfractions of LDL, and remnant lipoprotein (RLP) cholesterol, were examined before and after administration. In addition, the influence of atorvastatin on lipoprotein(a) (known to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis), asymmetric dimethylarginine (known to be an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase), and homocysteine (methionine metabolite) was also investigated. Administration of atorvastatin significantly decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Conversely, a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was shown. In LDL subfractions, large, buoyant LDL fractions were not influenced by treatment with atorvastatin (before administration, 99 +/- 14 mg/dl; after administration, 91 +/- 6 mg/dl, shown as a cholesterol content in each subfraction), but a marked decrease in small, dense LDL fractions (p <0.001) (before administration, 119 +/- 17 mg/dl; after administration, 43 +/- 10 mg/dl) was shown. Moreover, oxidized LDL was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) (before administration, 169 +/- 13 U/L; after administration, 119 +/- 10 U/L) and RLP cholesterol also was significantly decreased (p <0.01) (before administration, 11.9 +/- 2.0 mg/dl; after administration, 6.0 +/- 0.9 mg/dl) with atorvastatin treatment. No significant change was observed in fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, lipoprotein(a), asymmetric dimethylarginine, homocysteine, and so on. These data suggest that administration of relatively low doses of atorvastatin to patients with hypercholesterolemia accompanied with hypertriglyceridemia results in a decrease not only in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but also in oxidized LDL and RLP cholesterol, with an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Furthermore, small, dense LDL decreased with a shift in LDL subfractions to large, buoyant fractions, and these changes are considered to be involved in the inhibition of the onset and progression of atherosclerosis.

Plasma fibrinogen and hemorheologic-hemostatic factors contribute to dyslipidemia-induced morbidity. Some of these parameters can be favorably affected when abnormal serum lipoprotein levels are corrected. Thus, we investigated whether treatment with atorvastatin would result in changes in plasma viscosity and other hemorheologic and hemostatic parameters. Twenty-two hyperlipidemic men at a university lipid clinic were treated single-blinded with atorvastatin 80 mg/day for 12 weeks to determine hemostatic-hemorheologic parameters including blood viscosity, fibrinogen levels, whole blood platelet aggregation, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, hematocrit, plasminogen activator inhibitor activity, factor VII activity, red blood cell (RBC) deformity and lipid ratio, sedimentation rate, and fasting serum lipoprotein levels. Atorvastatin treatment provided significant lowering of serum lipoprotein levels: low-density lipoprotein -53% (p = 0.0001), very low density lipoprotein -43% (p = 0.0001), and triglycerides -35% (p < 0.0001). These effects were accompanied by changes in plasma viscosity -10% (p = 0.0007), arachidonic acid-induced whole blood platelet aggregation -11% (p = 0.006), factor VII -8% (p = 0.001), RBC lipid composition +5% (p = 0.0003), and RBC sedimentation -33% (p = 0.0002). Plasma fibrinogen levels were not affected. Thus, atorvastatin 80 mg/day produced marked reductions in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-53%), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (-43%), and triglycerides levels (-35%), and significant changes in plasma viscosity as well as other hemorheologic-hemostatic parameters, but no changes in plasma fibrinogen levels.

This study evaluates the relation between total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and subsequent total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. These data are from 4,946 US and 5,198 Polish men and women aged 35 to 64 years at baseline with mortality follow-up over 13 years. Total cholesterol showed a U-shaped or J-shaped relation to age-adjusted total and cancer mortality across all samples, with significance only in Polish women. The multivariable adjusted relative risk for total and cancer mortality was higher in the lowest cholesterol category only in Poland and significant only for cancer. Cardiovascular mortality was positively related to cholesterol, but only in Polish men and US women was mortality significantly higher in the highest versus the lowest cholesterol category. The multivariable adjusted relative risk of cardiovascular death was greater in the highest versus the lowest cholesterol category, but this trend was significant only in the US. HDL cholesterol was inversely related to total (significant only in US men) and cardiovascular mortality (significant only in US and Polish men). A similar, but not significant, association of HDL cholesterol was found with cancer mortality. The multivariable adjusted relative risk of total mortality was inversely related to HDL cholesterol significant in both the US and Poland. The relative risk of cardiovascular mortality was significantly lower at higher HDL cholesterol levels in all samples. The relative risk of cancer mortality was highest and significant at the lowest HDL cholesterol level in the US and Poland. Elevated triglycerides were associated with increased risk of total and cardiovascular mortality, but this trend was significant only in the US. Cancer mortality was not significantly related to triglycerides. The present study indicates that in geographically and culturally diverse populations, the relation of lipids with cardiovascular mortality is similar. The relation with total and cancer mortality varies by country, gender, and lipids. This suggests that relations of total and cancer mortality with lipids or lipoproteins are weaker than associations with cardiovascular mortality.

This study examines the prevalence of abnormal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in young adults to determine the ability of National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) guidelines to identify persons with elevated LDL cholesterol, to compare other algorithms with those of the ATP, and to determine the contributions of race, gender, and other coronary artery disease risk factors to identifying patients with elevated LDL and low HDL cholesterol. The cohort was population-based, aged 23 to 35 years, and included relatively equal numbers of blacks and whites, and men and women. The prevalence of LDL cholesterol > or = 160 mg/dl (> 4.1 mmol/L) was 5% in black women, 4% in white women, 10% in black men, and 9% in white men. ATP identified most participants with elevated LDL cholesterol (range: 58.8% of white men to 70.7% of black women). Lipoprotein panels would have been required in 6% to 7% of women and to 15% to 18% of men. Algorithms that used nonlipid risk factors required more lipoprotein panels and identified fewer additional participants at risk. The prevalence of HDL cholesterol < 35 mg/dl (0.9 mmol/L) was 3% in women, 7% in black men, and 13% in white men. Algorithms that used nonlipid risk factors before measuring HDL cholesterol would require HDL cholesterol measurements in 35% of whites and 56% of blacks, but reduced sensitivity for identifying low HDL cholesterol (range: 58% in white men to 93% in black women). In young adults, algorithms based on nonlipid risk factors and family history have lower sensitivity, and increase rather than decrease the number of fasting lipoprotein panels required when compared with ATP levels.

Renal insufficiency is frequently associated with both quantitative and qualitative abnormalities in lipid and hemorheologic profiles. Although this may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a number of studies have also shown dyslipidemia to be a significant risk factor for the progression of renal insufficiency in human chronic renal disease. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aimed to assess the effect of fluvastatin, a synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, on these parameters in dyslipidemic patients with or without chronic renal insufficiency. After a 6-week placebo run-in, 42 patients who had been previously stratified into 2 groups on the basis of creatinine clearance levels (0.5-1.0 mL/sec or > 1.0-1.5 mL/sec) were randomized to treatment with fluvastatin (40 mg daily) or matching placebo. Significant differences (on analysis of variance with repeated measures) were seen between fluvastatin and placebo treatment groups for changes in total cholesterol (-15% vs 1%, respectively; p < 0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; -21% vs -5%; p < 0.001), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (-14% vs 14%; p = 0.017), very low density lipoprotein triglycerides (-1% vs 29%; p = 0.014) and total triglycerides (-7% vs 24%; p < 0.001). These effects on cholesterol levels were reflected in a significant decrease in apolipoprotein B levels with fluvastatin therapy (p < 0.001). Apolipoprotein A-I levels increased (p = 0.054) despite no significant change in the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Response to therapy did not differ between the 2 renal function groups for any of the lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein variables. Hemorheologic parameters were not altered with fluvastatin therapy, regardless of renal function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol appears to contribute to atherogenesis. Probucol reduces LDL cholesterol oxidation susceptibility, but the consistency, dose, and time course are not well described. Twelve hyperlipidemic patients were given probucol for 4 weeks at the usual dose for cholesterol reduction (1,000 mg/day), or one half (500 mg/day) or one quarter (250 mg/day) the usual dose. Lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins was assessed using a rapid test in which LDL cholesterol and very-low-density lipoprotein are precipitated with dextran sulfate and magnesium ions, redissolved, incubated with copper ions for 3 hours, and tested for thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Results are expressed as nmoles of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) generated per mg (nmol MDA/mg) non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Lipoproteins from probucol-treated patients become resistant to oxidation with a predrug value of 85 +/- 19, and decreasing to 3 +/- 1 nmol MDA/mg after drug administration (p < 0.001). Both "half" and "full" doses were effective in lowering lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility by 95%. The "quarter" dose was less effective. Oxidation inhibition was maximized within 2 weeks, returning to baseline 4 to 6 weeks after discontinuing probucol. Four patients were subsequently crossed over to vitamin E (1,200 IU/day). Vitamin E had a milder, less predictable antioxidant effect, lowering lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility by a mean of 24%. In conclusion, probucol treatment effectively and predictably reduces plasma lipoprotein susceptibility to ex vivo, copper-induced oxidation. This clinically applicable test may provide quantitation of antioxidant effects of probucol or other antioxidants and thus facilitate dose adjustments and correlation with antiatherosclerotic effects.

Antihypertensive drugs may affect serum lipoprotein levels in mixed populations but data in hyperlipidemic patients are scanty. Atenolol versus celiprolol effects on serum lipoproteins were compared in 159 hyperlipoproteinemic hypertensive patients. This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, positive-controlled multicenter trial with centralized lipoprotein laboratory and diet constancy monitoring. Blood pressure reduction and serum lipoprotein and apoprotein levels were monitored for 3 months. Both drugs reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Atenolol had greater effects than celiprolol on diastolic pressure, but effects on systolic blood pressure were not different. Patients receiving atenolol had lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and higher low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios, whereas patients treated with celiprolol showed no contrasting changes. These differences in lipoprotein levels between drug treatment groups were statistically significant at weeks 9 and 12. The difference between drug treatments was also significant if the values of the 9- and 12-week visits were averaged. Patients taking atenolol had statistically significantly higher serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and apoprotein B at 9 weeks. These divergent directional changes were consistent throughout and statistically significantly different between drugs.

The specific aim of this retrospective, observational study was to assess safety and efficacy of long-term (21 months/patient), open-label, gemfibrozil-lovastatin treatment in 80 patients with primary mixed hyperlipidemia (68% of whom had atherosclerotic vascular disease). Because ideal lipid targets were not reached (low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol less than 130 mg/dl, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol greater than 35 mg/dl, or total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol less than 4.5 mg/dl) with diet plus a single drug, gemfibrozil (1.2 g/day)-lovastatin (primarily 20 or 40 mg) treatment was given. Follow-up visits were scheduled with 2-drug therapy every 6 to 8 weeks, an average of 10.3 visits per patient, with 741 batteries of 6 liver function tests and 714 creatine phosphokinase levels measured. Only 1 of the 4,446 liver function tests (0.02%), a gamma glutamyl transferase, was greater than or equal to 3 times the upper normal limit. Of the 714 creatine phosphokinase levels, 9% were high; only 1 (0.1%) was greater than or equal to 3 times the upper normal limit. With 2-drug therapy, mean total cholesterol decreased 22% from 255 to 200 mg/dl, triglyceride levels decreased 35% from 236 to 154 mg/dl, LDL cholesterol decreased 26% from 176 to 131 mg/dl, and the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio decreased 24% from 7.1 to 5.4, all p less than or equal to 0.0001. Myositis, attributable to the drug combination and symptomatic enough to discontinue it, occurred in 3% of patients, and in 1% with concurrent high creatine phosphokinase (769 U/liter); no patients had rhabdomyolysis or myoglobinuria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In animal studies, gemfibrozil markedly elevates high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. In humans with primary hyperlipoproteinemia and lipoprotein phenotypes IIA, IIB and IV, gemfibrozil, 1,200 mg/day, was associated with a 25%, 20% and 17% increase in HDL cholesterol, respectively. Gemfibrozil also substantially increased the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol, reflecting both an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared with a placebo in subjects with types IIA, IIB and IV lipoprotein phenotypes, therapy with gemfibrozil led to an increase of 33%, 34% and 23%, respectively, in the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol. With gemfibrozil therapy, about 80% of subjects with hypertriglyceridemia had a reduction in triglycerides of 35% or a return to normal levels; 50% of subjects with hypercholesterolemia had a cholesterol reduction of 20% or a return to normal levels.

Long-term treatment with probucol induced marked regression of xanthoma in patients with both homozygous and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia despite a substantial accompanying decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Furthermore, a close correlation was found between the extent of the regression and the reduction of HDL cholesterol, which suggests that the probucol-induced decrease in HDL may not be an atherogenic change, but may reflect a favorable change for lipoprotein metabolism. The present study also evaluated the effects of probucol on HDL metabolism in patients with familial hyperHDL2 cholesterolemia who had extremely high levels of HDL cholesterol ranging from 130 to 280 mg/dl. Premature corneal opacities were present in 2 patients, 1 of whom also had coronary artery disease despite high HDL cholesterol levels. In the 2 cases, the net transfer of cholesteryl ester from HDL to very low density lipoprotein and LDL was impaired, and low hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was observed, but cholesteryl ester transfer protein was not deficient. Administration of probucol to these patients caused a marked reduction of serum cholesterol, which was accounted for exclusively by a reduction in the HDL2 fraction. The size of the HDL2 particles, which had been much larger, decreased to normal, and the net transfer rate of cholesteryl ester was normalized. In the other 3 cases of hyperHDL2 cholesterolemia, the cholesteryl ester transfer activity was completely deficient. Unlike its effect in the first 2 cases, probucol did not cause any change in lipid and apoprotein in the 3 patients with complete deficiency of cholesteryl ester transfer activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)