Lipoprotein(a)(Lp(a))is known as an independent risk factor of the coronary artery disease(CAD). However, it is not clear whether the level of the Lp(a) is elevated in the presence of atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease(PVD) of lower extremities.

Considering high prevalence of the coronary artery disease in PVD, the association between the serum level of Lp(a) and the presence of PVD was investigated by comparing Lp(a) level in PVD patients with CAD(PVD+CAD group, N=15), PVD patients without CAD(PVD-CAD group, N=12), and control group who had normal coronary angiograms and no clinical evidence of PVD(Control group, N=22). In all PVD patients coronary angiograms were performed simultaneously with peripheral angiograms. Clinical characteristics, lipid profiles and the level of lipoprotein(a) were compared between two PVD group. The serum level of Lp(a) was measured with ELISA technique.

Serum levels of lipoprotein(a) in patients with PVD as a whole(20.4±18.7mg/dl, mean standard deviation) were not significantly higher than those in control group(14.9±10.5mg/dl). In patients with PVD and CAD, the levels were significantly higher(27.0±20.2mg/dl) than those in patients with PVD but without CAD(12.2±13.3mg/dl). There was no significant difference between two groups with PVD in age, sex, association of hypertension, smoking, and other lipid profiles.

Lipoprotein(a) level might not be related to the presence of PVD, but rather associated with CAD.