Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein phospholipids correlate inversely with severity of angiographically defined coronary artery disease

In an attempt to assess the relationship between lipid abnormalities and severity of coronary artery disease, we measured serum levels of cholesterol (SC), triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (SP), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high density lipoprotein phospholipids (HDL-P), in 217 men undergoing diagnostic coronary arteriography. We found significantly higher mean values of HDL-P and HDL-C in men with normal coronaries, but no significant differences in the other measured lipids. While there was no significant difference in HDL-C among patients with one, two or three-vessel disease, there was a negative correlation between HDL-P levels and the severity of the disease. These observations suggest that prospective studies would be of merit to establish the relevance of HDL-P in the development of coronary artery disease.