The Apo B:Apo A-I Ratio: A Role in CV Risk Assessment?

Unlike LDL levels, apolipoprotein (apo B) levels reflect all types of pro-atherogenic particles. Furthermore, apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) is more important than HDL-cholesterol content for biochemical pathways that render HDL antiatherogenic. Might the apo B:apo A-I ratio predict cardiac risk better than do traditional lipid measurements or the Framingham risk score? To find out, investigators performed a nested case-control study among participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Norfolk.

Apolipoprotein and lipid levels were measured for 869 cases (individuals who developed fatal or nonfatal coronary artery disease) and 1511 matched controls (individuals who remained CAD-free) over a mean follow-up of 6 …