FRIDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- There appears to be a consistent association between low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in men aged 65 years or older, according to research published in the May 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
Jonathan Golledge, of the James Cook University School of Medicine in Townsville, Australia, and colleagues conducted a population screening study of 3,327 men, 65 to 83 years of age, to examine the association between fasting serum lipid levels and the presence of AAA, adjusting for clinical determinants of AAA and use of lipid-modifying medication.
The researchers found that 1,043 (31 percent) of the men were receiving lipid-modifying therapy, usually statins, at the fasting lipid measurement, and that the serum HDL concentrations were reduced in patients with AAAs. In men not receiving lipid-modifying therapy and in the total cohort, the serum HDL concentration was independently associated with a lower risk of having an AAA. Low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride concentrations were not associated with AAA presence.
"In conclusion, HDL appeared to be the most important lipid in predicting the risk of AAA development, with potential value as a therapeutic target. Current cardiovascular strategies aimed at lowering low-density lipoprotein might not have any effect on the prevention of AAAs," the authors write.
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