Beta- and pre-beta-lipoproteins in coronary disease and hyperlipoproteinaemia.

A very high percentage of male patients with proven coronary disease and/or raised lipid levels had a pre-beta-hyperlipoproteinaemia (class P [6] or Fredrickson [3] type IV) and relatively few had a beta-hyperlipoproteinaemia (class B or Fredrickson type IIA). Mixed hyperlipoproteinaemia was found in a large number of male patients but these again had predominantly raised triglyceride. More female patients over 40 years had beta-hyperlipoproteinaemia. Our retrospective study shows that raised triglyceride levels are more often found in patients with coronary disease than raised cholesterol levels.