Lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a significant and independent risk for coronary artery disease in Japanese men.

AIM

Lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been recognized as a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), but the relationship between HDL-C values and the occurrence of CAD has not been fully established in the Japanese general population.

METHODS

A cohort study of 5,371 Japanese men with 12 years of follow-up was conducted to identify risk factors for the occurrence of CAD.

RESULTS

One hundred and twelve subjects had CAD (acute myocardial infarction in 67 patients and angina in 45 patients) during the follow-up period. Adjustment for variables including age, body mass index, smoking habit, alcohol intake, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting plasma glucose, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of lower levels of HDL-C for the occurrence of CAD was 1.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.33, p<0.001). Serum HDL-C concentration less than 51 mg/dL was a significant risk for CAD.

CONCLUSIONS

Low HDL-C was identified as a significant and independent risk for CAD in Japanese men using long-term follow-up data.