Association of the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio with stroke risk: Findings from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)

Abstract

Background and aimsStudies on associations of apolipoprotein B (ApoB), apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio with stroke risk are scarce. We aimed to prospectively examine the associations of the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and other lipid profiles with the risk of stroke using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Methods and resultsA total of 7318 participants without stroke at baseline in 2009 were included in the final analysis and followed for a median of 6.1 years. The serum lipid profiles including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), ApoA-I, and ApoB were measured at baseline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the associations between these parameters and stroke risk. The ApoB/ApoA-I ratio was positively associated with incident stroke, yielding adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.32 (95% CI: 1.09–1.59, P = 0.004). In comparison, ratio of ApoB and ApoA-I containing lipoproteins, the non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio, possessed relatively weaker association with incident stroke (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01–1.52, P = 0.036). Furthermore, the risk associations for the ApoB/ApoA-I and non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratios were prominent among those participants aged >51, body mass index ≤23, or female. There were no significant associations of other lipids and their ratios with the stroke risk. ConclusionsHigher ApoB/ApoA-I ratio was associated with an increased risk of stroke. Our findings suggest that the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio may serve as a better risk indicator of stroke than other lipid profiles and their ratios.