Apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A-I: risk indicators of coronary heart disease and targets for lipid-modifying therapy.

Although LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, other lipoproteins and their constituents, apolipoproteins, may play an important role in atherosclerosis. Elevated levels of apolipoprotein (apo) B, a constituent of atherogenic lipoproteins, and reduced levels of apo A-I, a component of anti-atherogenic HDL, are associated with increased cardiac events. Apo B, apo A-I and the apo B/apo A-I ratio have been reported as better predictors of cardiovascular events than LDL-C and they even retain their predictive power in patients receiving lipid-modifying therapy. Measurement of these apolipoproteins could improve cardiovascular risk prediction.