Carotid artery intima-media thickness in Finnish families with familial combined hyperlipidemia.
BACKGROUND
Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) is the most common hereditary lipid disorder that predisposes the patients to premature coronary heart disease. Members of FCHL families are categorised as affected or unaffected according to serum lipid levels. This study is aimed to evaluate whether there is a difference in carotid artery wall thickness between asymptomatic FCHL family members who are affected and those who are unaffected according to the currently used lipid criteria.


RESULTS
Carotid artery ultrasonography with intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements was performed for 148 members of 39 Finnish FCHL families. Study subjects who had no history of coronary heart disease or stroke were divided into two groups according to their serum total cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels. The average carotid IMT of the affected subjects (0.75+/-0.15 mm) was not significantly different from that of their unaffected relatives (0.73+/-0.13 mm), P=0.90. In multivariate analysis, age, gender, and pulse pressure, but no lipid variables, contributed significantly to the variation of carotid IMT.


CONCLUSIONS
The IMT findings in FCHL family members indicate that the current lipid criteria alone are of limited value in predicting long-term risk of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic members of FCHL families.
Ylitalo
Kati
K
Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, PO Box 340, Floor 11, Haartmaninkatu 4, 0029 Hus, Finland.
Syvänne
Mikko
M
Salonen
Riitta
R
Nuotio
Ilpo
I
Taskinen
Marja-Riitta
MR
Salonen
Jukka T
JT
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006950:Hyperlipidemia, Familial Combined / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides