Detection of small dense LDL-cholesterol: is it necessary to determine particle size?

Abstract

Evaluation of: Julius U, Dittrich M, Pietzsch J: Factors influencing the formation of small dense low-density lipoprotein particles in dependence on the presence of the metabolic syndrome and on the degree of glucose intolerance. Int. J. Clin. Pract. 61(11), 1798–1804 (2007). Samples from the Familial Metabolic Syndrome Study in Saxony were used to assess the determinants of small dense LDL levels. After correction for degree of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, age, gender and BMI the strongest correlates of particle size were the levels of VLDL triglyceride (r = -0.598) or plasma triglycerides (r = -0.623). The study reviewed has highlighted the great utility of triglycerides as a simple practical surrogate for the detection of small dense LDL particles, but has also suggested that significant quantities of small dense LDL may occur at far higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations than previously suspected, suggesting that formal measurement of levels of small dense particles may be necessary. However it sti...