Prospective Study of Lipoprotein(a) as a Risk Factor for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Diabetes
- Takaki Hiraga, MD,
- Tetsuro Kobayashi, MD,
- Minoru Okubo, MD,
- Kohji Nakanishi, MD,
- Tadao Sugimoto, MD,
- Yasuo Ohashi, PHD and
- Toshio Murase, MD
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Toranomon Hospital; The Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Toshio Murase, MD, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Toranomon Hospital, 2–2–2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess whether lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied 221 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) without diabetic complications who were followed for 2.2–3.1 years. Their serum Lp(a) levels were semiquantified by a rapid electrophoretic method that accurately discriminates high from low serum Lp(a) at the 20 mg/dl level.
RESULTS Seven of 105 diabetic patients with a high serum Lp(a) experienced a clinical event related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This incidence was significantly higher than that of the 110 diabetic patients with a low serum Lp(a). The logistic regression analysis revealed that Lp(a) was an independent risk factor for the event.
CONCLUSIONS Lp(a) is a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in NIDDM.
- Received July 12, 1993.
- Revision received September 22, 1994.
- Accepted September 22, 1994.
- Copyright © 1995 by the American Diabetes Association
