Abstract
Objective: We investigated a relationship between the serum LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (L/H ratio) and coronary risk factors in a Japanese population.
Methods: Our subjects were 3,717 individuals who underwent a general health examination in 2004. We estimated their L/H ratios and determined if there was a correlation between them and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Results: The L/H ratio of participants without treatments for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or dyslipidemia was 2.24 (SD 0.88), and that of subjects with no traditional cardiovascular risk factors (BMI, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, and uric acid levels were below ideal levels in Ningen Dock criteria) was 1.46 (SD 0.42). The 90 percentile of the L/H ratio in this group was 2.02 (male/female 2.25/1.77). The L/H ratio was higher in male subjects in both groups. In the group that had a relatively low LDL level (below 139 mg/dl), HDL cholesterol was more strongly correlated with the L/H ratio than LDL cholesterol. In subjects with LDL levels below 139 mg/dl, the high L/H ratio was related to a higher level of high sensitive CRP.
Conclusions: In this Japanese population, the 90 percentile of the L/H ratio of individuals whose BMI, blood pressure, and other metabolic factors meet the ideal Ningen Dock criteria was 2.02. In individuals with a relatively low LDL level, a high L/H ratio might indicate the presence of more severe cardiovascular risk factors.
