Predictors of coronary artery disease in the Lebanese population.
BACKGROUND
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. The disease is determined by many risk factors such as age, gender, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, as well as elevated serum levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP) and uric acid. In this study, we evaluated the association of biologic and metabolic parameters with CAD in a group of Lebanese patients.


METHODS
Three hundred patients were recruited for the study. Biologic and blood metabolic parameters were measured. Patients were then divided into 3 groups according to their catheterization result: 0% stenosis (controls), <50% stenosis and >or=50% stenosis.


RESULTS
Hyperlipidemias, CRP, homocysteine and uric acid levels in CAD patients were not different from those of the controls. However, age, elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) and elevated serum Lp(a) levels were found to be strong independent predictors of CAD in our study population. Association with CAD was also shown for gender, hypertension, diabetes and family history of CAD.


CONCLUSIONS
We report the importance of serum Lp(a) levels and FBG in the prediction and prevention of CAD in our population.
Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Antoine
A
Abchee
Houry
H
Puzantian
Sami T
ST
Azar
Hadia
H
Shbaklo
Antoine
A
Nasrallah
Fadi J
FJ
Sawaya
Samir
S
Alam
Pierre A
PA
Zalloua
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)