In this cross-sectional study performed in a sample (n=646) of 64-year-old women from Gothenburg, Sweden, with various degrees of glucose tolerance, Schmidt and Fagerberg tested the hypothesis that the apolipoprotein (apo) B/apo A1 ratio might help identify femoral artery plaques, as assessed by B-mode ultrasound. In women in the top apo B/apo A1 ratio tertile, the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery and the common femoral artery were found to be higher. Presence of plaques in the femoral (but not carotid) artery was also higher among women in the top apo B/apo A1 ratio tertile. Generally, at any HbA1c levels or LDL cholesterol levels, an increased apo B/apo A1 ratio was associated with an increased occurrence of femoral artery plaques. Based on these observations, the authors concluded that the apo B/apo A1 ratio should be used to mirror the number of pro-atherogenic and anti-atherogenic lipoproteins particles associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
Documentation centre