Lp(a) levels and reduced risk of vascular atheromatosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Abstract

In a group of 80 patients (50 male and 30 female) aged between 44 and 65, affected by alcoholic liver disease (46 with steatosis and 34 with liver cirrhosis) the Authors examined the relationship between the plasma lipid, in particular of Lp(a), and the incidence of vascular atherosclerotic plaques. The results were compared with those found in the controls (50 subjects of similar age, social and working status to that of the above patients but nondrinkers without liver or other metabolic disease). In the patients with steatosis we found a moderate increase in plasma lipid fractions including total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, but low levels of Lp(a), with an incidence of arterial plaques of 10.86%. In those with liver cirrhosis the findings were characterized by low levels of lipids and in particular of Lp(a), with an incidence of arterial plaques of 8.82%, decidedly less marked than in the controls (16%). In both cases the low incidence of vascular involvement appears to be in some way linked with low levels of Lp(a) and the severity of liver disease and not with the behaviour of HDL cholesterol.