Prevention & lipidsCross-sectional study
Small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary artery calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
- Cross-sectional study
- multi-ethnic cohort (MESA)
Authors' conclusion
In a large, multi-ethnic sample without known CVD, higher sd-LDL-C was associated with the presence of CAC, above and beyond total LDL-C.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals without known cardiovascular disease (CVD) with directly measured baseline sd-LDL-C and coronary artery calcification (CAC), Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
- Participants
- 4,672 individuals
- Exposure
- Quartiles of small dense LDL-C
- Outcome
- Presence of baseline CAC (score >0)
- Follow-up
- Baseline
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Presence of baseline CAC
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Quartile 2 vs Lowest quartile
1.24(1.00–1.53)
Quartile 3 vs Lowest quartile
1.51(1.19–1.93)
Quartile 4 vs Lowest quartile
1.59(1.17–2.16)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Curvilinear (quadratic) relationship of continuous sd-LDL-C with CAC (splines)
- Quadratic vs first-order terms, adjusted for demographics and CVD risk factors
- P = 0.015
- Quadratic vs first-order terms, after accounting for total LDL-C
- P = 0.156
- likelihood ratio test
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary artery calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 7 February 2024. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwae049
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it