Lipid blood profile in old patients with ischemic heart disease

Abstract

Purpose: to assess prevalence of dyslipidemia in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) older than 75 years as well as to evaluate possible associations between serum lipids and various cardiovascular and other diseases in these patients. Methods: We enrolled in this cross sectional study 555 hospitalized IHD patients aged 75-98 years (mean age 86.8 years, 74.5% women). Levels of lipids (total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], low and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDLC, HDLC]) were measured by enzyme method on the biochemistry analyzer Konelab 60i. Results: Elevated TC; hypertriglyceridemia and elevated LDLC were observed in 13.3, 10.4 and 26.3% of patients, respectively. In the majority of patients severity of dyslipidemia was mild. With increasing age serum levels of TC and LDLC decreased. Negative correlation between TC level and patient's age was significant (r= -0.13; p=0.001). Mean TC level was 5.43, 5.0 and 4.7 mmol/l in patients aged <80 (group 1), 80-89 (group 2), and ≥90 (group 3) years, respectively (p=0.001 for differences between groups 1-and 3). Similar results were registered in respect of LDLC: mean LDLC level was 3.7 and 2.7 mmol/l in groups 1 and 3, respectively (p=0.004). Mean concentrations of all lipids in women were higher than in men: TC 5.1 vs 4.5 (p<0.0001), LDLC 3.1 vs 2.5 (p=0.0002), HDLC - 1.26 vs 1.17 mmol/l (p=0.01). Lower lipids levels (especially those of TC) were significantly associated with clinically significant heart failure (p<0.0001) and atrial fibrillation (p<0.0001). Higher TC and TG correlated positively with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.001). Significant positive correlations existed between TG and glucose concentration (p<0.0001) as well as between TG and uric acid level (p=0.001). Higher TG and lower HDLC levels were registered in patients with higher creatinine level (p=0.001 and 0.0003, respectively). Only 11.4% of study patients received statins. Conclusion: The study results evidence for considerable peculiarities of lipid profile in the very elderly patients with IHD. Significant associations between dyslipidemia and a number of diseases were also revealed.