Cholesterol Uptake Capacity as a Prognostic Marker of Cardiovascular Events for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Aim: Cholesterol uptake capacity (CUC) is a functional assessment of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and has drawn attention for the risk stratification of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study evaluated the usefulness of HDL-CUC as a predictive marker for long-term ASCVD events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 503 patients with CAD who underwent coronary revascularization. Blood was sampled from the participants within three months before or after index revascularization. The CUC was assayed using a previously reported automated system. The study population was divided into three groups according to the tertiles of CUC levels. The primary outcome was ASCVD events, which were defined as a composite of all-cause death, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Results: A total of 29 events were observed during the follow-up (median 2.8 years). The risk of the primary outcome in the low-CUC group was significantly higher than that in the high-CUC group (3-year incidence: low CUC 8.8% vs. high CUC 4.0%; log-rank p = 0.046). After adjusting for age and sex, the risk in the low-CUC group relative to that in the high-CUC group remained significantly high (hazard ratio 3.17, 95% confidence interval 1.05–9.54, p = 0.040).

Conclusion: Low CUC in patients with CAD were associated with a higher risk of ASCVD events after coronary revascularization than high CUC levels. The assessment of HDL functionality measured by CUC would be useful for the risk prediction of ASCVD after coronary revascularization.