Apolipoprotein A1 Is a Stronger Prognostic Marker Than Are HDL and LDL Cholesterol for Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Elderly Men

Lipid management in the geriatric patient

Elderly individuals are at higher risk for cardiovascular events, and thus this population stands to gain a greater reduction in events from lipid therapy than younger individuals. Multiple primary and secondary prevention trials have demonstrated that the benefits of statins in geriatric patients are equivalent to, or greater than, those seen in younger patients. Combination therapy with non-statin agents should be considered in patients who do not meet cholesterol goals or who have concomitant hypertriglyceridemia or low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although increased side effects may occur with high-dose statin therapy, careful vigilance of drug interactions and limiting polypharmacy can reduce these effects.

Genetic polymorphisms for the study of multifactorial stroke

Single-gene disorders explain only a minority of stroke cases. Stroke represents a complex trait, which is usually assumed to be polygenic. On this topic, the role of a wide number of candidate genes has been investigated in stroke through association studies, with controversial results. Therefore, it is difficult for the clinician to establish the validity and the level of clinical applicability of the previously reported associations between genetic factors and stroke. This review is an update and an extensive analysis of the more recent association studies conducted in stroke. We evaluated a number of studies on several candidate genes (including F5, F2, FGA/FGB/FGG, F7, F13A1, vWF, F12, SERPINE1, ITGB3/PLA1/PLA2/ITGA2B, ITGA2, GP1BA, ACE, AGT, NOS3, APOE, LPL, PON1, PDE4D, ALOX5AP, MTHFR, MTR, and CBS), providing a final panel of genes and molecular variants. We categorized this panel in relation to the degree of association with stroke, supported by the results of meta-analyses and case-control studies. Our findings could represent a useful tool to address further molecular investigations and to realize more detailed meta-analyses.

Apolipoprotein A-I versus HDL cholesterol in the prediction of risk for myocardial infarction and stroke

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To compare the potential of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, the major protein in HDL particles, in predicting cardiovascular risk. Pros and cons for using these risk markers are discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Both HDL cholesterol and apoA-I are in most clinical conditions antiatherogenic - the higher the values, the lower the cardiovascular risk. Methodological and physiological factors speak in favour of using apoA-I rather than HDL cholesterol as a marker of risk. In prospective risk studies and in lipid-lowering trials it has been shown that the apoB/A-I ratio, which reflects the cholesterol balance between all potentially atherogenic (apoB) and antiatherogenic lipoproteins (apoA-I), is a better risk marker than low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and lipid ratios in predicting cardiovascular risk and response to lipid lowering induced by statins. Practical advantages speak in favour of using apoB and apoA-I - fasting is not needed to analyze and interpret the values of apoB and apoA-I.

SUMMARY

New guidelines should be developed in which target values for apoB and apoA-I are defined to enable the use of these new strong risk markers/factors in clinical practice.