Background: The objective of this study was to examine the association between serum lipid levels and the metabolic syndrome, together with polymorphisms in lipid-associated genes, in young Asian Indians with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Methods: The study population comprised 492 patients who were 45 years old or younger. We assessed lipid levels and the frequencies of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) Taq-1 B, lipoprotein lipase (LPL)S447X, -93 T/G, apolipoprotein B (APO B) 96bp ins/del, lipoprotein(a) (LP[a]) pentanucleotide repeat, and apolipoprotein E (APO) E epsilon 2/3/4 polymorphisms in relation to the metabolic syndrome using both National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definitions.
Results: The metabolic syndrome as defined by the NCEP ATP III criteria was found in 301 (61%) patients and in 295 (60%) patients according to the IDF criteria. Hypercholesterolemia (64.5%), hypertriglyceridaemia (78.7%), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (70.1%), and raised non-HDL-C (68.0%) occurred significantly more frequently in patients with the metabolic syndrome defined by the NCEP ATP III criteria. Similar results were observed for the IDF definition. A significant relationship with the LPL -93 T/G polymorphism was found, with the minor G allele occurring more frequently in patients defined by the NCEP ATP III criteria (odds ratio [OR] 2.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-8.16; P = 0.023). The X allele of the LPL S447X polymorphism was observed less frequently in metabolic syndrome patients (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.34-0.78; P = 0.0009). Several genotypes, including the LPL S447X, APO E3/E3, and the CETP Taq1 B2B2, were associated with favorable lipid profiles.
Conclusion: Dyslipidemia occurred with similar frequency in young Asian Indian patients with AMI and the metabolic syndrome, irrespective of the definition used. Significant associations were observed between LPL gene polymorphisms and the metabolic syndrome. Several lipid-associated genotypes exerted a favorable effect on lipid profiles.