Variations in plasma lipids and lipoproteins among cardiovascular disease patients in South-western Nigerians

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins, in particular highdensity
lipoprotein (HDLC) in patients suffering from different types of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Southwestern
Nigeria. Patients were drawn from different socioeconomic classes in order to determine the effect of this
factor on CVD in Nigeria. One hundred and seventy (74 males, 96 females) CVD patients (hypertensive heart disease
(n=48), hypertension (n=59), ischaemic heart disease (n=49), myocardial infarction (n=4)) with a mean age of
45.3±13.2 years were selected. Fifty-eight individuals (31 males and 27 female) with mean age of 44.8±11.7 years
were included as controls. Result showed significant increases in mean plasma total cholesterol (TC) (P < 0.05),
triglyceride and low density lipoproteins (LDLC) (P < 0.01), LDLC: HDLC (p < 0.001), as well as in systolic and
diastolic blood pressures (p < 0.001), while plasma HDLC (p < 0.01) and HDLC:TC (p < 0.001) showed significant
decreases when compared with the corresponding mean control values. There were graded decreases in plasma
HDLC in the different socioeconomic classes. The lowest mean plasma HDLC was found in IHD patients. This study
has uncovered variations in plasma lipids and lipoproteins among patients of CVD within the different
socioeconomic classes in South-western Nigeria.