Associations of serum LDL particle concentration with carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery calcification.
Low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL-P) has recently been found to be a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C).



Whether LDL-P is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis, independent of LDL-C, as well as other lipid measures has not been fully examined. We aimed to analyze LDL-P associations with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis.



We examined 870 Japanese men randomly selected from Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan, aged 40-79 years from 2006-2008, free of clinical CVD and not using lipid-lowering medication. Cross-sectional associations of lipid measures with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC; >0 Agatston score) were examined.



LDL-P was significantly positively associated with cIMT and maintained this association after adjustments for LDL-C and other lipid measures. Although these lipid measures were positively associated with cIMT, model adjustment for LDL-P removed any significant relationships. Higher LDL-P was associated with a significantly higher odds ratio of CAC and further adjustment for LDL-C did not affect this relationship. In contrast, the LDL-C association with CAC was no longer significant after adjustment for LDL-P. Other lipid measures attenuated associations of LDL-P with CAC. Likewise, associations of these measures with CAC were attenuated when model adjustments for LDL-P were made.



In a community-based sample of Japanese men, free of clinical CVD, LDL-P was a robust marker for subclinical atherosclerosis, independent of LDL-C and other lipid measures. Associations of LDL-C and other lipid measures with either cIMT or CAC were generally not independent of LDL-P.
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan. Electronic address: mzaid@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp.
Maryam
M
Zaid
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Katsuyuki
K
Miura
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Akira
A
Fujiyoshi
Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Robert D
RD
Abbott
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Takashi
T
Hisamatsu
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Aya
A
Kadota
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Hisatomi
H
Arima
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Sayaka
S
Kadowaki
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Sayuki
S
Torii
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Naoko
N
Miyagawa
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Sentaro
S
Suzuki
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Naoyuki
N
Takashima
Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Takayoshi
T
Ohkubo
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Akira
A
Sekikawa
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Maegawa
Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Minoru
M
Horie
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, Otsu City, Shiga, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Nakamura
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Tomonori
T
Okamura
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan; Center for Epidemiologic Research in Asia, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Hirotsugu
H
Ueshima
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D014463:Ultrasonography
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL
Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT); Coronary artery calcification (CAC); Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); Low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL-P); Subclinical atherosclerosis
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