[Hypertension has no effect on coronary calcifications in asymptomatic patients with hypercholesterolemia].
Since calcium in coronary artery walls is considered as an indicator for atherosclerosis, we used ultrafast computed tomography to quantify it non invasively in 111 hypercholesterolemic men. They were selected at worksite by a cholesterol screening program, had total cholesterol (TC) above 5.2 (6.88 +/- 0.82, SD) mmol/l, were aged from 30 to 63 (46 +/- 5 years), had never been treated with lipid lowering or antihypertensive drug, and had no clinical coronary heart disease. Body mass index, blood pressure, smoking and other serum lipids as HDL cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) were evaluated. Calcium score of proximal coronary arteries was calculated on 30 contiguous 3 mm slices from areas and peak density of calcium lesions. The mean score was 30 +/- 69 and ranged from 0 to 440. A zero score was found in 39 subjects who differed from the 72 others only by TG levels (1.44 +/- 0.60 vs 1.85 +/- 0.80; p < 0.05). A multiple regression analysis showed that elevated calcium score was associated independently to age (F = 6.6; p < 0.05) and TG (F = 6; p < 0.05) but not to blood. Thus 65% of these asymptomatic subjects had a non-zero calcium score in coronary arteries. Elevated calcium score was influenced independently by age and triglyceride level, but not by other risk factors, such as blood pressure. This potential adverse effect of moderate triglyceride elevation on large coronary arteries merits attention in the assessment of the risk of coronary heart disease.
Megnien
J L
JL
Centre de médecine préventive cardiovasculaire, INSERM U 28, Hôpital Broussais, Paris.
Jeannin
S
S
Sene
V
V
Merli
I
I
Atger
V
V
Hernigou
A
A
Plainfosse
M C
MC
Moatti
N
N
Levenson
J
J
Simon
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
L'hypertension artérielle n'influence pas les calcifications coronaires chez l'homme hypercholestérolémique asymptomatique.