Lipid Profile, Plasma Apolipoproteins, and Risk of a First Myocardial Infarction Among Asians : An Analysis From the INTERHEART Study

This study sought to determine the prevalence of lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities and their association with the risk of a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among Asians. Patterns of lipid abnormalities among Asians and their relative impact on cardiovascular risk have not been well characterized. In a case-control study, 65 centers in Asia recruited 5,731 cases of a first AMI and 6,459 control subjects. Plasma levels of lipids and apolipoproteins in the different Asian subgroups (South Asians, Chinese, Southeast Asians, and Japanese) were determined and correlated with the risk of AMI. Among both cases and controls, mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were about 10 mg/dl lower in Asians compared with non-Asians. A greater proportion of Asian cases and controls had LDL-C