Direct assessment of plasma low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease: results from the Framingham Offspring Study.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated direct low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (C) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (C) versus standard methods using fasting plasma samples from participants in cycle 6 of the Framingham Offspring Study.


METHODS
Direct LDL-C and HDL-C measurements were performed on fasting plasma from male (1335 controls, 173 CHD cases) and female (1606 controls, 74 cases) participants, and compared with LDL-C, as calculated with the Friedewald formula, and HDL-C, as measured after dextran-Mg(2+) precipitation.


RESULTS
Values for direct LDL-C and HDL-C correlated well with standard methods (both about r(2)=0.94, p<0.001) with similar absolute values. Biases of >10% were present for 7.7% of samples for LDL-C, while for HDL-C this value was 8.5%. Despite higher use of cholesterol-lowering medication in CHD cases, calculated or direct LDL-C values were still well above recommended values [<2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL)] in CHD cases, especially in females.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct assays for both LDL-C and HDL-C provide an acceptable guide for lipid treatment. In Framingham Offspring Study participants most CHD cases had LDL-C levels above the recommended target.
Otokozawa
Seiko
S
Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Ai
Masumi
M
Asztalos
Bela F
BF
White
Charles C
CC
Demissie-Banjaw
Serkalem
S
Cupples
L Adrienne
LA
Nakajima
Katsuyuki
K
Wilson
Peter W F
PW
Schaefer
Ernst J
EJ
D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL