RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: It is well known that high total and LDL cholesterol concentrations are not prerequisites for ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to differentiate between patients with coronary heart symptoms and healthy subjects with high cholesterol concentrations, using other potential risk factors such as oxidation state, body iron status and the oxidative state of the LDL particle. METHODS: Healthy persons were divided in low cholesterol (<6 mmol/L) (LC) and high cholesterol (> or =6 mmol/L) (HC) groups. An additional group consisted of patients with symptoms of coronary heart disease (P). The lipid profile, body iron status, plasma antioxidants and LDL oxidation status were measured. RESULTS: No significant differences could be observed between the LC and HC groups or between the lipid profiles, plasma antioxidants and parameters of body iron status of the HC and patient groups. Some parameters measured on isolated LDL differed between the HC and patient groups, such as LDL oxidative potential (134.47 vs 93.70 min) and LDL alpha-tocopherol (21.83 vs 11.73 micro mol/mmol cholesterol). CONCLUSION: The oxidative state of the LDL particle discriminated between patients with symptoms of coronary heart disease and hypercholesterolaemic persons without symptoms of coronary heart disease.