Predicting heart attack by size and number of lipoproteins - Congress Services - Brief Article

AORN Journal, Jan, 2002

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that the size and number of lipoproteins in the body can predict an individual's risk of heart attack, according to a Nov 14, 2001, news release from the institution. This is particularly true for women.

According to the release, a woman's chance of heart attack increases with the number of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Researchers evaluated lipoprotein size and number from blood samples of more than 1,800 participants. Participants were 65 years of age or older. One group was a control, a second group experienced heart attacks, and a third group was free of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers found that the risk of heart attack increases as much as 2.45 times for women with high LDL levels. They believe that physicians can use this marker to initiate therapy to reduce the risk of heart attack or prevent atherosclerosis before it becomes full-blown.

Cholesterol Particle Size and Number Can Predict Heart Attack, Says University of Pittsburgh Researcher at AHA Meeting (news release, Anaheim, Calif: University of Pittsburgh, Nov 14, 2001) http://www.upmc.edu/News Bureau/gsph/kuller_ldlsize.htm (accessed 29 Nov 2001).