Background and design: The effect of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) I405V polymorphism on lipid levels, atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (MI) was examined in 6421 participants from the Rotterdam Study.
Methods: Quantitative outcomes were studied with linear models; Cox models were used to assess MI risk.
Results: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) increased by 0.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 0.09] mmol/l in VV carriers. The V allele was further associated with decreased MI risk in men [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)=0.57 (0.45, 0.73), VV versus II] (Ptrend=0.02).
Conclusion: This study provides additional evidence for the association of CETP with HDL levels and suggests that CETP is an atherogenic protein increasing the risk of MI.