High Serum Lipoprotein (a) as an Independent Risk Factor for Premature Coronary Artery Disease in the Iranian Population

Background: The predisposing factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and positive family history. Yet, new risk factors that can lead to CAD in early ages have been investigated in recent studies. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of a number of suggested risk factors in the previous studies—including serum levels of homocysteine, fibrinogen, and lipoprotein (a)—in patients suffering from early CAD in Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 patients with the 1st presentation of CAD without any previous treatment. CAD was confirmed by selective coronary angiography, and all the major risk factors were negative. The serum levels of the above-mentioned factors were measured. Then, the data were analyzed using SPSS, version 20. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study participants comprised 34 males aged 45 years or below and 16 females aged 55 years or below. The mean serum levels of homocysteine, fibrinogen, and lipoprotein (a), which were measured and compared to normal levels, were 13.22 mg/dL (P=0.305), 4.019 g/L (P=0.305), and 2.341 μmol/L (P<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed lipoprotein (a) as an independent risk factor in premature CAD in the Iranian population. However, this was not the case regarding homocysteine and fibrinogen. The acceptance or rejection of this hypothesis requires more extensive studies with larger sample sizes.