Relationship between plasma lipid concentrations and coronary artery disease in 496 patients.

The relationship between fasting plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and the frequency and extensiveness of coronary artery disease (CAD) was studied in 496 subjects evaluated for chest pain by coronary arteriography at The Methodist Hospital. One hundred six of the patients had no CAD while 390 had 25% or greater stenosis of one or more major vessels. Ninety-one percent had 75% or greater stenosis of at least one major vessel. Mean age for the group with CAD was 55.7 +/- 8.7 and without disease 49.4 +/- 11.6 (P less than 0.01). Both cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were higher (P less than 0.001) in the group with CAD. Mean cholesterol concentration in males increased from 195 +/- 36 mg/dl in the group without CAD to 219 +/- 41 in the group with three vessel disease and in females from 207 +/- 40 to 252 +/- 42. A progressive increase in triglyceride values was also detected but was less consistent. At the level of 25% and greater obstruction, the partial correlation coefficients between the number of vessels involved and the cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, respectively, were +0.201 and +0.181.