Prevention & lipidsCohort study
Visit-to-visit lipid variability, coronary artery calcification, inflammation, and mortality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
- Prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Elevated HDL-C variability was associated with greater CAC burden and long-term risks of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Study context
- Population
- MESA participants with LDL-C, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides from all three initial exams and CT coronary artery calcification (CAC) quantification at the third (index) examanalysed
- Participants
- 1,515 participants
- Exposure
- Visit-to-visit lipid variability quartiles
- Outcome
- Index Agatston score, CV mortality, all-cause mortality and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein
- Follow-up
- 15.1-year median
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Q4 vs Q1Estimate (CI)
HDL-C variability, CV mortality
adjusted sub-hazard ratio 2.68(1.61–4.48)
TC variability, CV mortality
adjusted sub-hazard ratio 2.13(1.17–3.89)
HDL-C variability, all-cause mortality
adjusted HR 1.46(1.00–2.11)
- HDL-C variability, index Agatston score; not LDL-C, TC or triglyceride variability
- adjusted marginal effects 0.25 (CI 0.02–0.48)
- HDL-C variability, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein
- adjusted β 0.132 (CI 0.034–0.230)
- TC variability, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein
- adjusted β 0.210 (CI 0.064–0.357)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Visit-to-visit lipid variability, coronary artery calcification, inflammation, and mortality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 20 February 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf085
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it