Elevated skin tissue cholesterol levels and myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Skin cholesterol has been associated with coronary artery disease, extent of angiographic disease and inflammatory markers such as hs-CRP. Based on these findings we sought to determine whether skin cholesterol was associated with myocardial infarction (MI).


METHODS
Patients (N = 649) underwent diagnostic catheterization and concurrent skin cholesterol measurement. History of MI was determined at the time of hospitalization.


RESULTS
Patients with a history of MI (n = 225, 35%) had significantly higher skin cholesterol than those without MI (127+/-29 versus 120+/-20, p = 0.002). The odds ratio for high skin cholesterol (for MI) was 1.6 (95% CI = 1.1, 2.6; p = 0.01) after adjustment for traditional risk and extent of angiographic disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin cholesterol may indicate increased risk of coronary-related events rather than simply the presence of angiographic narrowing.
Sprecher
Dennis L
DL
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Desk C51, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. dennis.sprecher@uphs.upenn.edu
Pearce
Gregory L
GL
D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*
D002784:Cholesterol