Elevated Lp-PLA2 levels add prognostic information to the metabolic syndrome on incidence of cardiovascular events among middle-aged nondiabetic subjects.
BACKGROUND
To explore potential interrelationships between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD).


RESULTS
MetS was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult treatment Panel III criteria in 4480 nondiabetic Malmö Diet and Cancer Study subjects without history of CVD. Incidence of first CVD event (stroke [130 cases] or myocardial infarction [131]) was monitored over 10 years of follow-up. Lp-PLA2 activity and mass were significantly higher in subjects with MetS. Lp-PLA2 activity compared with Lp-PLA2 mass was more strongly correlated to individual components and increased more linearly with number of MetS components. Elevated Lp-PLA2 activity (top compared with bottom tertile), but not elevated Lp-PLA2 mass, increased risk for incident CVD (relative risk, RR: 1.54, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.24), as did MetS (1.42, 1.06 to 1.90) after taking possible confounders into account. Relative to those without either elevated Lp-PLA2 activity or MetS, combination of MetS and elevated Lp-PLA2 activity increased risk for CVD (1.97, 1.34 to 2.90). Elevated Lp-PLA2 activity without MetS increased risk for CVD (1.40, 1.03 to 1.92) but not MetS without elevated Lp-PLA2 activity (1.46, 0.94 to 2.27).


CONCLUSIONS
Lp-PLA2 is associated to the MetS. Higher plasma levels of Lp-PLA2 increased risk for incident CVD regardless of MetS. The simultaneous presence of elevated Lp-PLA2 activity and MetS may identify an especially high risk individual.
Persson
Margaretha
M
Department of Clinical Sciences, Internal Medicine Research Group, University Hospital Malmö, Entrance 33, level 2, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden. margaretha.m.persson@skane.se
Hedblad
Bo
B
Nelson
Jeanenne J
JJ
Berglund
Göran
G
D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase / Q000097:blood*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
D015415:Biomarkers; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D043203:1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase