Key result
The highest quartile of LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was associated with an increased risk of high carotid intima-media thickness compared to the lowest quartile (HR 1.51; 95% CI 1.29-1.78).
Why the study?
The LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was suggested as a better predictor for atherosclerosis progression and CVD than individual lipids, but its association with high CIMT risk required exploration.
Does a higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio predict the development of high carotid intima-media thickness in adults?
Cohort (n=13,612)
Does a higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio predict the development of high carotid intima-media thickness in adults?
Hazard Ratio: 1.51 (95% CI 1.29–1.78)
A higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is significantly associated with an increased risk of developing high carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting its utility as a predictor for atherosclerosis progression.
May refine CIMT risk assessment in primary prevention; leaves open causal inference and practice change.
Low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol to high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C/HDL‐C) ratio may carry additional information and has been suggested as a better predictor for atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) than LDL‐C and HDL‐C alone. Therefore, we aim to explore the association between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and high carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) risk in a large Cohort in Beijing, China. This cohort study included 13,612 adults without high CIMT at first entry and who attended the baseline examination and at least one follow‐up annual examination between 2009 and 2016. We used multivariable Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and risk of high CIMT. During 37,912 person‐years of follow‐up, 1996 (1268 men and 728 women) developed high CIMT. Compared with the first quartile of LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio, the risk of high CIMT was significantly increased for the fourth quartile of LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.29–1.78). We observed a significant association between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and high CIMT risk comparing LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio >2.78 with LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio ≤2.78 and significant dose–response relationship between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and risk of high CIMT. The restricted cubic spline showed a significant nonlinear association between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and the risk of high CIMT ( p non‐linearity = 0.009). We identify a significant association between LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio and the risk of high CIMT in the Chinese Cohort study. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of reducing LDL‐C/HDL‐C ratio treatment on the development of high CIMT.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Qin et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in High carotid intima-media thickness (n=13,612). LDL-C/HDL-C ratio vs. First quartile of LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was evaluated on High carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.29-1.78). The highest quartile of LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was associated with an increased risk of high carotid intima-media thickness compared to the lowest quartile (HR 1.51; 95% CI 1.29-1.78).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: