[Changes in serum lipid levels, lipid composition and lipoprotein fractions in patients with ischemic cardiopathies or arterial hypertension].

Total cholesterol and triglycerides as well as their distribution among the different hyperlipoproteinemia types were studied in three patients groups: 47 normotensive patients with myocardial infarction, 35 normotensive patients with cardiosclerosis (chronic ischemic heart disease), 29 hypertensive patients without symptoms or signs of clinical atherosclerosis. Their results were compared to those of 45 normal controls. There was no decrease in HDL cholesterol nor increase in LDL cholesterol in patients with chronic or acute ischemic heart disease. A large percentage of patients from these groups had normolipoproteinemia. The most prominent lipidic changes were observed in hypertensive patients: no patient had a HDL cholesterol level above normal values, thirty three per cent had a HDL cholesterol level below 35 mg/dl. A high percentage of patients with acute myocardial infarction or hypertension exhibited atypical lipoproteinemia anomalies (hyper HDL triglyceridemia, hyper LDL triglyceridemia, hyper VLDL cholesterolemia) when they could have normolipoproteinemia. This suggested lipoproteinic metabolism disturbances in such cases.