Apolipoprotein B100/Apolipoprotein A-1 Ratio Better Than Cholesterol-Based Methods for Risk Prediction

Conflicting results from several prospective and case-control studies have sparked a recent debate about whether apolipoprotein B100 (apo B) and apolipoprotein A-1 (apo A-1) are better biomarkers of cardiovascular risk than are their lipoprotein counterparts, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol. The Framingham Offspring Study (JW Cardiol Aug 22 2007), among other studies, produced negative findings. Now, in a large and unique case-control study, investigators compare the apo B:apo A-1 ratio with other cholesterol ratios as MI risk markers in all the major ethnic groups of the world.

The study cohort included 9345 patients with acute MI and 12,120 age- and sex-matched controls in 52 countries. The researchers obtained various lipid measures from nonfast…