Plasma copper status in hypercholesterolemic patients

Abstract

There has been inconsistent association between low copper (Cu) status and hypercholesterolemia (Hypercholesterolemia is a known risk factor in coronary heart disease). Most of these earlier studies have been predominantly in experimental models; very few reports have examined human subjects. We investigated the relationship between Cu status and hypercholesterolemia in human subjects and if this relationship is established it may be amenable to nutritional interventions.
Seventy four (74) randomly selected plasma samples from patients on which cholesterol (Chol) estimations had been previously performed were included. The plasma samples were classified into three (3) categories according to the cholesterol concentration based on the reference range at UCH, Ibadan as at the time of analysis. The study groups included the following, hypercholesterolemic group (group1) (Chol level, > 250mg/dl), normocholesterolemic group (group2) (Chol level, 150 = 250mg/dl); and hypocholesterolemic group (group 3) (Chol level, 87- 149mg/dl). The mean values of Cu in groups 1, 2, 3 were 103.39±8.58 μg/dl,
122.67±14.69μg/dl and 123.82±10.15μg/dl respectively. The mean concentration of Cu in hypercholesterolemia was significantly different from the normocholesterolemia (p< 0.0001) and the hypocholesterolemia (p< 0.0001) respectively. The plasma Cu level of the hypercholesterolemic group was the lowest; while the levels in the normocholesterolemic and the hypocholesterolemic groups were similar. The low level of Cu in the hypercholesterolemic group was significantly lower than the levels in groups 2and 3 (p<0.0001) in both cases. There was a significant inverse correlation between cholesterol and Cu levels (r = - 0.4909; p<
0.0001). These data support some previous reports that hypercholesterolemia is associated with decrease Cu status and this may be manipulated to control hypercholesterolemia and associated disorders.
(Afr. J. Biomed. Res. 10: 217 – 222)