title: Increased levels of lipoprotein(a) in non-smoking aortic dissection patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) serum levels in patients with aortic dissection and the influence of smoking on the level of Lp(a) in aortic dissection patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  An age-and sex-matched case-control study was conducted. Lp(a) levels in patients with aortic dissection (n = 52) and healthy subjects (n = 104) were studied. The strength of associations between Lp(a) serum levels and aortic dissection was assessed by means of multivariate logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with aortic dissection had significantly higher Lp(a) serum levels (median, 17.6 mg/dl; range, 6.4-88.7 mg/dl) compared to healthy individuals (median, 12.4 mg/dl; range, 4.9-26.4 mg/dl) (p = 0.005). The Lp(a) concentration in non-smoking patients with aortic dissection (median, 19.1 mg/dl, range, 10.5-88.7 mg/dl) significantly surpassed that of the smoking patients with aortic dissection of comparable age (median, 10.7 mg/dl; range, 6.4-22.1 mg/dl) (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis confirmed an independent association between Lp(a) and aortic dissection in the non-smoking population (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum Lp(a) level is significantly elevated in non-smoking patients with aortic dissection independently of other cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, determination of Lp(a) levels may be important in identifying subjects at risk of aortic dissection among nonsmokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Taizhou Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Taizhou, 317000, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jian-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xin-yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wei-fang
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jian-an
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000097:blood*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D017270:Lipoprotein(a)