Jul 13 (HeartCenterOnline) - White Americans at high risk for developing coronary artery disease tend to have smaller and denser LDL cholesterol particles in their blood than African Americans at the same risk level. According to a study published recently in the journal Ethnicity & Disease (2001), a small dense LDL particle size has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

The study examined 159 African American and 477 white siblings of patients under the age of 60 with diagnosed coronary artery disease (CAD). Since CAD that develops in younger patients tends to run in families, these siblings were all considered to be at high risk for developing heart disease.

All of the siblings tested in the study were monitored for the levels of various fats in their blood, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-1 and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). In addition to this blood testing, direct measurements of LDL particle size were made in 64 of the patients through the use of special testing equipment called proton NMR spectroscopy. (NMR stands for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, which is another term for MRI.)

Results suggested that white high-risk patients were more likely than high-risk African American patients to have small, dense LDL particles, regardless of comparable triglyceride levels, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. While additional research is needed, this study may eventually help physicians better understand and treat heart disease.

More information can be found in the following HeartCenterOnline topic centers:
The Coronary Artery Disease Center
The Cholesterol Center

Other news articles of interest can be found at the following links:
Formula for gauging heart risk works for blacks (Jul 11, 2001)
Heart disease toll heavier on blacks, southerners (Jun 21, 2001)
Heart procedure performed less often in blacks (May 10, 2001)
Racial differences found in heart drug response (May 2, 2001)

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