title: Apolipoprotein(a), fibrinopeptide A and carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged men.
abstract: The association between apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)], fibrinogen, fibrinopeptide A (FPA) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was analyzed in Eastern Finnish men aged 50 to 60 years. Apo(a) correlated directly with carotid bifurcation (r = 0.26, p = 0.001), but not with common carotid IMT. Men in the lowest quartile of apo(a) had thinner (p = 0.013) IMT in bifurcation [1.59 mm (95% CI 1.49; 1.68)] compared to the men in the highest [1.91 mm (95% CI 1.73; 2.09)] apo(a) quartile. The difference remained (p = 0.038) after adjusting for confounders. Plasma fibrinogen was not related to carotid IMT, whereas FPA correlated with common carotid (r = 0.21, p = 0.016) and carotid bifurcation (r = 0.21, p = 0.018) IMT. These associations abolished after adjusting for the confounders. The data suggest that apo(a) associate with carotid atherosclerosis independent of other risk factors for ischemic cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rankinen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Väisänen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rauramaa
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D053241:Apoprotein(a); D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D005344:Fibrinopeptide A / Q000032:analysis*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D008055:Lipids; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D005344:Fibrinopeptide A; D053241:Apoprotein(a)