High density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides as markers of angiographically assessed coronary artery disease.

Serum triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and total cholesterol were measured in 698 patients examined by angiography. The ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol was significantly lower in patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease than in patients without disease. The serum concentration of triglyceride was significantly higher in patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease than in those without coronary artery disease. Similar proportion of patients with coronary artery disease and without had serum cholesterol concentrations of greater than or equal to 6.5 mmol/l, but total cholesterol was significantly higher in patients with single, double, and triple vessel disease than in those without. HDL cholesterol (less than 1.0 mmol/l), triglycerides (greater than 2.0 mmol/l), and the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol (less than 0.20) were significantly better than total cholesterol as indicators of coronary risk.