Lipid Fractions and Severity of Coronary Artery Lesions in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

Abstract

The relationship between different lipid fractions and the occurrence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease(CAD) is a well-known fact. However, knowledge of the association of different lipid fractions and the severity and extension of coronary lesions has been rarely reported in clinical studies and is often contradictory. This study aimed to evaluate the association between different lipid fractions and the severity and extent of the coronary atherosclerotic lesion in patients with ST elevated acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). We analyzed data from 50 consecutive patients with STEMI who underwent coronary angiography during hospitalization at the Clinical Hospital in Tetovo. The severity and extent of CAD were defined using the Syntax score (SXscore) algorithm stratified according to tertiles. Laboratory analysis for lipid fractions was performed. It was noticed a statistically significant association between SXscore tertiles and the mean of total cholesterol (TC) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) ratio (TC/HDL), (p=0.008). Correlation test showed week but significant positive correlation between SXscore tertiles and TC/HDL ratio (r=0.339, p=0.016) and Non-HDL (r=0.309, p=0.034). In regression analysis, reduced HDL and increased TC values statistically significantly predicted SXscore (p<0.05). Among all lipid variables examined, the TC/HDL ratio appeared as the most powerful indicator of severity and extension of the coronary lesion in patients with STEMI. The TC/HDL ratio should be used as an easy, non-invasive, and inexpensive method to measure the severity of CAD to determine the diagnosis strategy and treatment of patients with atherosclerotic coronary diseases at risk of acute infarction.