Does high blood pressure cause bad cholesterol?

A kind of “unhealthy” ldl cholesterol might increase the danger for first coronary heart assaults, strokes and dying from coronary heart illness, new analysis suggests. However the elevated threat solely seems in individuals who have already got hypertension.

Lipoprotein(a), like low-density ldl cholesterol (LDL), is a subtype of lipoprotein that may construct up in arteries, rising the danger of a coronary heart assault or stroke. Lipoproteins encompass protein and fats and carry ldl cholesterol by means of the blood.

Concentrations of lipoprotein(a) are largely set by genetics and unaffected by way of life.

Amongst individuals whose blood stress is inside the regular vary, excessive ranges of lipoprotein(a) didn’t increase the danger for cardiovascular occasions, based on the examine printed Tuesday within the American Coronary heart Affiliation journal Hypertension.

“We discovered that the overwhelming quantity of cardiovascular threat on this various inhabitants seems to be on account of hypertension,” lead examine writer Dr. Rishi Rikhi stated in a information launch. Rikhi is a cardiovascular medication fellow at Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist Medical Middle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “Moreover, people with hypertension had even greater cardiovascular threat when lipoprotein(a) was elevated.”

Hypertension, often known as hypertension, is a significant threat issue for heart problems. Analysis reveals that threat is even greater when an individual has each hypertension and a lipid imbalance, referred to as dyslipidemia, reminiscent of excessive ldl cholesterol. However little was beforehand identified about how lipoprotein(a) impacts the danger amongst individuals with hypertension.

Utilizing well being information from the Multi-Ethnic Examine of Atherosclerosis, investigators divided 6,674 examine contributors into 4 teams: individuals with lipoprotein(a) ranges lower than 50 mg/dl and no hypertension; individuals with lipoprotein(a) ranges of fifty mg/dl or greater and no hypertension; individuals with ranges lower than 50 mg/dl and hypertension; and other people with ranges 50 mg/dl or greater and hypertension.

Since 2017, the American Coronary heart Affiliation has outlined hypertension as a prime variety of 130 mmHg or greater or a backside variety of 80 mmHg or greater. However on this examine, investigators outlined hypertension as a prime variety of 140 or extra, a backside variety of 90 or greater or if an individual was taking treatment to manage blood stress ranges.

Contributors within the examine got here from racially various populations in Baltimore; Chicago; New York; Los Angeles County; Forsyth County, North Carolina; and St. Paul, Minnesota. The contributors didn’t have heart problems when the examine started in 2000, they usually have been monitored over a median of 14 years for any cardiovascular occasions, together with coronary heart assaults, strokes, cardiac arrest and dying from coronary artery illness.

The examine advised that lipoprotein(a) alone didn’t increase the danger for cardiovascular occasions. However when it was mixed with hypertension, the extra lipoprotein(a) that was current, the upper the danger.

In comparison with individuals with low lipoprotein(a) ranges and no hypertension, these with greater lipoprotein(a) and no hypertension had no elevated threat for cardiovascular occasions. Solely about 8% had an occasion in every group.

However each teams with hypertension noticed a rise in cardiovascular threat, whether or not lipoprotein(a) ranges have been excessive or low. Amongst these with decrease lipoprotein(a), 16.2% had cardiovascular occasions, as did 18.8% of these with greater lipoprotein(a) ranges.

“The truth that lipoprotein(a) seems to change the connection between hypertension and heart problems is attention-grabbing, and suggests essential interactions or relationships for hypertension, lipoprotein(a) and heart problems,” Rikhi stated. “Extra analysis is required.”