[Copper intake and blood levels as risk factors for atheromatous disease].
BACKGROUND
Copper is part of antioxidant enzymes and could have a cardiovascular protective effect. A higher cardiovascular risk has been associated with high as well as low plasma copper levels.


OBJECTIVE
To search for differences in copper intake and plasma levels between patients with coronary artery or cerebrovascular diseases and normal subjects.


METHODS
Zinc and copper intake, plasma levels and serum lipid levels were measured in 20 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 20 patients with an acute myocardial infarction and 40 subjects hospitalized for elective surgery, that served as controls.


RESULTS
Copper and zinc intake was below recommended allowances in all subjects. Serum zinc and copper levels did not differ in the three study groups. In patients with myocardial infarction a weak correlation was found between serum copper and total cholesterol (r = 0.24; p < 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.31; p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
No differences in copper levels were found in subjects with atherosclerosis and controls. The correlation between serum copper and cholesterol deserves further investigation.
Albala
C
C
Unidad de Epidemiología Nutricional, Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Salazar
G
G
Vío
F
F
Araya
F
F
Feuerhacke
W
W
Olivares
S
S
Alvarez
G
G
D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc