The balance of LDL, HDL, and VLDL particle concentration is firmly established as a measure of cardiovascular risk. These major classes of lipoprotein particles are composed of sub-species that can be categorized according to size. While the overall concentration of each of the major classes can be estimated by the clinical measures of LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, the determinations of the concentration of the sub-species by NMR methodology in the current study provide a more precise picture of lipoprotein profile. Clinical research is engaged in determining the contribution of each of the sub-species to cardiovascular risk.

"This current genetic analysis complements clinical analysis of cardiovascular risk by evaluating the genetic contribution to the concentration of each lipoprotein sub-species and helps to delineate genes and metabolic pathways that might be targeted for interventional strategies," noted Dr. Chasman. He continued "the research can be placed in the larger context of studies that are leveraging knowledge of the human genome to dissect the molecular basis of common diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, through large scale, genome-wide genetic analysis."

Source: Public Library of Science