Variations in plasma lipids and lipoproteins among cardiovascular disease patients in South-western Nigerians

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins, in particular highdensity lipoprotein (HDLC) in patients suffering from different types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Southwestern Nigeria. Patients were drawn from different socioeconomic classes in order to determine the effect of this factor on CVD in Nigeria. One hundred and seventy (74 males, 96 females) CVD patients (hypertensive heart disease (n=48), hypertension (n=59), ischaemic heart disease (n=49), myocardial infarction (n=4)) with a mean age of 45.3±13.2 years were selected. Fifty-eight individuals (31 males and 27 female) with mean age of 44.8±11.7 years were included as controls. Result showed significant increases in mean plasma total cholesterol (TC) (P < 0.05), triglyceride and low density lipoproteins (LDLC) (P < 0.01), LDLC: HDLC (p < 0.001), as well as in systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p < 0.001), while plasma HDLC (p < 0.01) and HDLC:TC (p < 0.001) showed significant decreases when compared with the corresponding mean control values. There were graded decreases in  plasma HDLC in the different socioeconomic classes. The lowest mean plasma HDLC was found in IHD patients. This study has uncovered variations in plasma lipids and lipoproteins among patients of CVD within the different socioeconomic classes in South-western Nigeria.

Keywords: HDL cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, plasma lipids and lipoproteins, South-western Nigeria.