It is now well established that hypercholesterolemia is an important cause of coronary heart disease, and clinical intervention studies have demonstrated the therapeutic value of correcting hypercholesterolemia. One of lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a) [LP(a)] contains one(or two) molecule of apo(a) linked to apo B100 by a disulphied bridge, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. NIDDM patients have a two-to fourfold increased risk of coronary heart disease relative to nondiabetic subjects. This excess risk is explained only partially by increased levels of standard risk factors. This study was conducted to assess the relatioship between serum Lp(a) levels and coronary heart disease. Furthermore, whether the Lp(a) level was related with NIDDM or not.

Total 83 subjects undergoing coronary angiography were evaluated on clinical risk factors and lipid profies with Lp(a). Among them, 24 subjects had normal coronary artery, while the others revealed significant stenosis of coronary arteries more than 50%.

The serum Lp(a) levels of the CHD group were significantly higher than control group(37.4 ± 31.8mg/dl vs 22.6 ± 12.9mg/dl). Other lipids profile were not significantly dfferent between two groups. Serum Lp(a) levels had no relations to fasting blood sugar level. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of lipid parameters revealed that cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and Lp(a) were best discriminator among risk factors for coronary heart disease. But in our study, the serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were within normal range.

This study suggested that Lp(a) level was a significant independent risk factor for coronary heart disease whether there was fasting hyperglycemia or not.