Lp(a) does not affect intima media thickness in hypercholesterolemic children -a retrospective cross sectional study

Oliver Helk; Andreas Böck; Claudia Stefanutti; Kurt Widhalm

doi:10.1016/j.athplu.2022.11.001

Lp(a) does not affect intima media thickness in hypercholesterolemic children -a retrospective cross sectional study

Atheroscler Plus. 2022 Nov 26:51:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.athplu.2022.11.001. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Oliver Helk¹, Andreas Böck², Claudia Stefanutti³, Kurt Widhalm²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
² University Department for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
³ Extracorporeal Therapeutic Techniques, Lipid Clinic and Atherosclerosis Prevention Centre, Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Purpose: Combined hyperlipidaemia results in premature atherosclerosis and a high burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Early identification of highly affected subjects within this population is of utmost importance to enable informed treatment decisions. The measurement of intima media thickness (IMT) is a readily available, non-invasive method to investigate evidence of early atherosclerosis. To assess the usefulness of this method in pediatric subjects with hypercholesterolemia, we here examined a possible interaction of LDL-C and Lp(a) on IMT.

Methods: Blood lipids (Lp(a), LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) -cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B), anthropometric parameters (age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI)) and possibly existing early evidence of atherosclerotic lesions measured by intima media thickness (IMT zscore).as a surrogate parameter was examined retrospectively in 113 children and adolescents (aged 1-18 years) with elevated Lp(a) and/or LDL-cholesterol (Lp(a) > 30 mg/dL, LDL>130 mg/dL). Furthermore, we compared hsCRP levels between groups.

Results: There were no significant differences in IMT Zscore or hsCRP between groups. Regression analysis did not reveal a statistically significant interaction between Lp(a) and LDL-C.

Conclusions: At the age of 6-18 years, we found no significant differences in early markers of atherosclerosis between subjects with high Lp(a)- and/or high LDL-cholesterol with no detectable synergistic effects between the two lipoproteins.