160 Tuesday 7 October 1997: Posters

Risk factors (for cardiovascular diseases)

compared with patients without MI (group B) (1.41 & 0.84 g/l; 1.80 f 0.51 m.

These results suggest that triglycerides and cholesterol levels can be probably implicated in the myocardial infarction in the Tunisian population.

2.P.209 Low LDL y-tocopherol/linoleic acid ratio in Lithuanian versus Swedish men - The LiVicordia study

A. Kaminskas. For the LiViconiia group; Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University Lithuania; Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden

The Linkoping-Vilnius coronary disease risk assessment study was set up to investigate possible causes for the four times higher CHD mortality in Lithuania compared to Sweden.

The fatty acid (FA) composition of plasma LDL was analyzed from randomly selected 50 year old men in Vilnius (Lithuania) and Linkoping (Sweden) by gas chromatography. Serum tocopherols were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The results showed that Lithuanian men had less total amounts of saturated (P < 0.01) and polyunsaturated (P < 0.02) FA in LDL. There was thus a lower absolute quantity of LDL FA in Lithuanians. The concentrations of eicosapen- taenoic and docosahexaenoic FA were higher in the Lithuanian group. Also, the Lithuanian men had a lower mean of total (P < 0.02) and y-tocopherol (P < 0.0001). We found a markedly lower ratios of y-tocopherol to linoleic acid and sum of all FA in LDL of Lithuanians compared with Swedish men. That could reflect a lower LDL particle size and lower protection against oxidation of Lithuanian men.

1 2.P.210 1 Family screening as au effective tool to prevent early cardiovascular events

U. Kassner, J. Schape, H. Munzberg, E. Steinhagen-Thiessen. Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany

Epidemiologic studies have clearly established several risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. The relevant inherited risk factors in- clude primary hyperlipoproteinemias, like e. g. familial hypercholesterolemia, combined hyperlipoproteinemia and hyperlipoproteinemia(a). Our lipidclinic takes part in the worldwide MED PED project. MED PED = Make early diagnoses to prevent early deaths was initiated in order to identify persons at high risk for early vascular events. We screened the families of patients with a significant lipid disorder. Apart from a fasting lipid profile we determined Apo E genotype and Lp(a) level. A further risk factor assesment was obtained through a questionnaire. 794 relatives of 414 index patients send their blood sampels for evaluation. We identified 595 relatives with a significant lipid dis- order, defined by cholesterol and/or triglycerid level above the 90” percentile. Many of the family members were not aware of their lipid disorder.

HL index cases 414 ChobTrgl 3.90% Scmned relatives 794 HL relatives 595 chobTrgl > 90%

We conclude that family screening is a simple and effective tool to identify persons with an inherited lipid disorder.

2.P.211 Plasma homocysteine levels and premature coronary artery disease in male patients

M. Kawashiri, K. Kajinami, A. Nohara, A. Inazu, J. Koizumi, H. Mabuchi. The Second Deptment of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kanazawa Univ, Kanazawa, Japan

The plasma level of homocysteine (Hey) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. The present study investigated the relation- ship between plasma Hey level and the age at which coronary artery disease (CAD) was diagnosed. Fifty-seven male patients 565 y (mean age, 53 y) with angiographically proven CAD seen consecutively and 138 age-matched male control subjects (mean age, 52 y) free from atherosclerotic vascular disease were studied. They were divided into two subgroups, 555 y (group Y) and 56-65 y (group 0). respectively. Plasma Hey levels in CAD patients significantly exceeded those of control subjects (13.4 vs. 10.7 nmol/ml, p = 0.002). Among the CAD patients, the plasma Hey level of group Y was significantly higher than that of group 0 (15.0 vs. 11.3, p = 0.04), and age and plasma Hey level showed a significant negative correlation (r = 0.28, p = 0.03).

Among <control subjects, both age subgroups had similar plasma Hey levels, and there was no significant correlation between age and Hey level. In group Y, CAD patients showed a significantly higher plasma Hey level than did controls (15.0 vs. 10.7, p = 0.0001). However, group 0 showed no significant difference in plasma Hey level between CAD patients and controls (11.3 vs. 10.9). These results suggest that htyperhomocystememia is more important in the development of premature CAD than in the development of late-onset CAD among males.

1 ‘-1 2 P 21’) Short stature and heart die: Nature or nurture? Frank Kee’ Viviane Nicaud2, Laurence Tiret*, Alun Evans’, -9 Denis O’Reilly3, Guy De Backe? The EARS Group; i Department of Epidemiology, the Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland: 21NSERM U258, Paris, France; 3Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Glasgow Royal Infrmarv, Scotland; 4Department of Public Health, University of Ghent, Belgium

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that short men are at in- creased risk of coronary heart disease. It has been suggested that the inverse relationship between adult height and CHD risk could be attributable to the fetal origins of CHD.

Method: The hypothesis that transmissible factors could partly explain the association has been tested in the European Atherosclerosis Research Studies (I and ll), in which a sample of healthy university students (cases), drawn from 18 European countries (male: n = 721; female: n = 330), whose fathers had had a documented myocardial infarction before the age of 55 years were compared to age and sex matched controls (male: n = 1056; female: n = 638). Information about lifestyle and birthweight was collected and a fasting blood sample was obtained from each subject.

Results: In females there was no difference in height between cases and controls but male cases were shorter than controls, on average by one cm. both in the EARS I (p = 0.02) and the EARS II studies (p = 0.01) and this difference was independent of reported birthweight and the fathers’ educa- tional attaimnent. In logistic regression the relationship was independent of the subje.cts’ apolipoprotein B level, the other major biological discriminator of case-control status.

Conclusion: In men at least, height appears to be an independent transmis- sible risk factor for coronary heart disease.

I2.P.213 1 Age-trends of lipid profile in Novosibirsk population Yu. Nilin, L. Khramtsova, S. Malyutina. Institute of Internal Medicine, Novosibirsk, Vladimirivskiy spusk Za, 630003, Russia

In the frame of WHO Monica project during 1985-89 representative sample of 7824 persons aged 25-64 was examined by standardized methods in Novosibirsk population.

Age trend of low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-Ch) was similar to total cholesterol (Ch) dynamics in both gender groups. High density lipopro- teins cholesterol (HDL-Ch) values were significantly higher in women vs men (p < 0.001). The proportional increasing of Ch, LDL-Ch and triglycerides (TG) war found in men under 45-50 years of age, followed by stable level in older groups. The opposite tendency was observed in woman with significant changes mainly in 45-64. The results correspond the data of respectively beneficial lipid profile among women in premenopause and excess risk of cardiovascular diseases in older women versus men.

II 2.P.214 Lipid and hemostatic risk factors of coronary insufficiency in syndrome X

K. Klimek, M. Jastrzebska, B. Torbus-Lisiecka, G. Dutkiewicz, K. Chelstowski, E. Szmatloch, M. Naruszewicz. Regional Research Center

for Atherosclerosis, Pomeranian Medical Academy, Szczecin, Poland

Arterial hypertension, obesity, disturbances of carbohydrate and lipid metab- olism, disorders of hemostasis and symptoms of coronary artery disease are among important components of the poly-metabolic syndrome X.

The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between hemostasis, metabolic disturbances and obesity in patients with arterial hypertension.

The shady was performed in 150 patients with mild or moderate hypertension with or without symptoms of ischemic heart disease.

The study group was divided according to the severity of syndrome X, i.e. the presence of arterial hypertension (HA), obesity (OB) or carbohydrate disorders (CD). Group I (n = 26) HA; group II = HA + OB (n = 43); group

11th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis, Paris, October 1997