Study of Lipid Profile in Coronary Heart Disease patients in Libya.

Introduction Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is widely prevalent across the globe and significantly high level of Cholesterol in circulation is a single major risk factor associated with Coronary Heart Disease. There have been numerous studies confirming the association of hyperlipidemias with Coronary Heart Disease in most of the Western and Asian countries of the world, where this disease imposes high personal, social and economic burden. This study conducted on a small population in Libya revalidates this finding. Objective The current study has been conducted for a period extending from 2007 to 2009 on a small population of patients from cardiac unit in the general hospital attached to a medical university in the city of Sirt, Libya, to estimate the predictive value and revalidate an association of abnormal lipid profile with Coronary Heart Disease in this area. Not many studies concerning this association of lipid parameters with CHD had been conducted in Libya. Hence this pilot study was initiated in a small group with an intention of continuing in a larger population to determine the normal and hence abnormal ranges in this particular region and further on, extending the work on evaluating genetic variations in this Mediterranean area. Materials and Methods : The current study is a case-control pilot study; conducted on a total of 93 patients diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease (history of angina or surviving myocardial infarction) with or without diabetes mellitus and hypertension, from a coronary care unit of Ibn Sina teaching hospital and from the Clinic of Cardiology in Sirt Central Polyclinic. The study extended for a period of two years from 2007 up to 2009. 167 clinically healthy subjects served as population-based controls. The age of the cases as well as the controls ranged from 41 to 80 years. Fasting samples of blood were collected both from cases and healthy controls and sent to the laboratory for processing and performance of the lipid profiles in batches. Lipid profiling included Total Cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDLC), High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDLC), Triacylglycerols (TAG) and calculating Very Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (VLDLC). Results: Lipid profile of patients with Coronary Heart Disease showed significant variation from that of the control group. The Total Cholesterol (p<0.05) and Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (p<0.05) were significantly higher in the cases, whereas the High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol had significantly lowered (p<0.05) from that of the controls. Serum Triacylglycerol was raised among cases than that of the controls but was not significant statistically. The Total Cholesterol to High density lipoprotein-Cholesterol and Low density lipoprotein-Cholesterol to High density lipoprotein-Cholesterol ratios also were significantly higher in cases than in controls, whereas the rise in Triacylglycerol to High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol ratio was not found to be significant. Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicated high serum cholesterol as an important single risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease and an increase in the levels of LDL-Cholesterol and a decrease in HDL-Cholesterol add further value to the association observed. Levels of the blood lipids are lower even among the patients is an interesting finding in this study, despite there being a variation between the cases and the controls. Hence a need to extend the study on a larger population to determine the normal range in this region and an urgent need for appropriate interventions to maintain the serum total cholesterol and LDL-C levels within a prescribed normal range.