Serum lipids in young female survivors of myocardial infarction.

Fasting serum lipids and lipoprotein patterns were studied in 44 female survivors of acute myocardial infarction under the age of 45 years, and in 84 matched control subjects. Type II hyperlipoproteinaemia was present in 41 per cent of the myocardial infarction patients and in none of the controls. There was, however, no difference in the prevalence of the type IV abnormality, which was present in 7 per cent of the myocardial infarction patients and 8 per cent of the control subjects. Mean cholesterol and triglyceride levels were both significantly higher in the women who had survived myocardial infarction than in the controls; the difference in triglyceride was attributable to the type IIb abnormality which occurred in 11 per cent of these patients. It is suggested that ovarian hormones may protect premenopausal women from type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia and its possible atherogenic sequelae.