Association of endothelial function and vascular data with LDL-c and HDL-c in a homogeneous population of middle-aged, healthy military men: Evidence for a critical role of optimal lipid levels.

Description

In this cross-sectional observational study of 171 healthy untreated military men (aged 35.5 ± 1.1 years), Laclaustra et al. evaluated the association of low LDL cholesterol levels and high HDL cholesterol levels with endothelial function. The authors also studied flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in relation to flow stimulus and its relationship with blood lipid levels. Results of this study showed that individuals with high HDL cholesterol levels [>1.55 mmol/l (60 mg/dl)], individuals with optimal LDL cholesterol levels [<2.59 mmol/l (100 mg/dl)]), as well as individuals with normal triglyceride levels [<1.70 mmol/l (150 mg/dl)] had significantly smaller arterial diameters compared to subjects with abnormal corresponding lipid levels. Moreover, there were significant differences in FMD between subjects with low HDL cholesterol levels and the rest of the group (4.13% vs. 5.07%) and between subjects with optimal and near-optimal LDL cholesterol levels compared to the rest of the sample (5.28% vs. 4.56%). These findings suggest that individuals in the healthy tail-end of lipid distribution naturally (not pharmacologically) have better vascular health in terms of endothelial function. These results also indicate that cholesterol fractions and triglyceride levels show significant associations with vessel diameters, even in a healthy population.