Risk factors for premature atherosclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate the prevalence of risk factors in patients with premature atherosclerosis.


METHODS
retrospective controlled study.


METHODS
135 consecutive patients with premature atherosclerosis </= 55 years (group I) were investigated. A control group comprised 107 consecutive patients >/= 65 years (group II) with atherosclerosis. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
group I versus group II: diabetes 11% vs. 27% (p=0.001), smoking 84% vs. 67% (p=0.002), hypertension 36% vs. 58% (p=0.001), hypercholesterolaemia 47% vs. 34% (p=0.04), family history of cardiovascular disease 53% vs. 42% (p=0.08). In group I hyperhomocysteinaemia was present in 24 of the 108 patients tested, anticardiolipin antibodies were present in four of the 34 tested and coagulation abnormalities were found in four of the 22 patients tested.


CONCLUSIONS
the difference in the prevalence of the different risk factors between the two groups suggests that either certain risk factors are more likely to cause premature atherosclerosis, or that other risk factors must be present in addition to the known risk factors in order to induce premature atherosclerosis.
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors