Differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia on the lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with and without coronary artery disease: A retrospective observational study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) on lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and without CAD. The data of 872 CAD patients and 774 non-CAD controls were extracted from the information system of hospitalized patients. Serum homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, and ApoB concentrations were detected. HHcy was defined as a serum level of Hcy ≥ 15 μmol/L. The CAD patients had lower levels of HDL-C and ApoAI and higher levels of Hcy than the controls ( P < .05). Serum TGs and HDL-C were negatively correlated with Hcy in controls. Serum HDL-C and ApoAI were negatively correlated with Hcy, and the ratios of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL/HDL-C, and ApoB/ApoAI were positively correlated with Hcy in the CAD patients ( P < .05). Although the trends for HHcy to decrease the lipid profiles were not different between the CAD and controls ( P interaction > 0.05), CAD with HHcy had lower HDL-C and ApoAI levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy; controls with HHcy had lower TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy ( P < .05). There were different HHcy trends affecting the ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C between the CAD patients and controls ( P interaction for TC/HDL-C = 0.025; P interaction for LDL/HDL-C = 0.033). CAD patients with HHcy had a higher ratio of TC/HDL-C ( P = .022) and LDL/HDL-C ( P = .045) than those of patients with normal Hcy, but in the controls, the subjects with HHcy exhibited a trend toward a decreased ratio of TC/HDL-C ( P = .481) and LDL/HDL-C ( P = .303). There were differential effects of HHcy on the lipid ratios between CAD and non-CAD patients. HHcy was related to higher ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C in patients with CAD.