Serum cholesterol and triglycerides in patients suffering from ischemic heart disease and in healthy subjects

Abstract

Serum cholesterol (CH) and triglyceride (TG) values were determined in 142 male and 58 female patients 35–74 years old, who suffered from angina pectoris (AP) or had a myocardial infarction (MI) (in the following referred to as ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients), as well as in 2219 male and 1469 female healthy normotensive subjects. Blood samples were taken in the fasting state. Blood from patients who had suffered from MI was examined three months after the acute event. In age subgroups 35–44, 45–54 and 55–64 years, no significant differences in serum CH was found between IHD patients and healthy subjects, except in males 35–44 years old. However, TG values were significantly elevated in coronary patients of all age groups. In all subgroups with equal CH values, significantly higher TG values were found in IHD patients than in healthy controls. In all subgroups with equal TG levels, no difference in average CH values was found between IHD patients and healthy subjects, except in females with TG below 150 mg%. The results suggest that in the population from which the two groups were recruited, elevated TG values were equal or superior to elevated CH values as indicators of coronary risk.