Can triglycerides-HDL-C ratio, HOMA-IR, ApoB, non-HDL cholesterol, and free cholesterol be laboratory-associated flags of female coronary atherosclerosis regardless of being diabetic?

05.24.24 | Bentham Science Publishers

Researchers in medicine have been studying the composition of biochemical markers to determine correlations between during health and disease for several decades. The data helps healthcare professionals to accurately diagnose and treat diseases, some of which are life threatening.

A team of researchers from Brazil has studied biomarkers, ratios, and indexes as indicators of coronary obstructions in women with established coronary artery disease, regardless of whether they have diabetes.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 42 women with confirmed atherosclerotic coronary disease, divided into diabetic and non-diabetic groups, who were scheduled for angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. Blood samples were taken right before the coronary procedures to measure various lab values, including blood sugar, HbA1c, insulin, HDL-C, PON-1, free cholesterol, LDL-C, Apo A-1, Apo B, and triglycerides.

In diabetic patients, insulin levels were positively correlated with triglycerides (p < 0.0108; r = 0.2009), apo B (p < 0.0006; r = 0.3737), non-HDL cholesterol (p < 0.0084; r = 0.2156), and free cholesterol (p < 0.0084; r = 0.3251). Using a linear regression model, insulin in diabetic patients was linked to blood sugar, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.9868). In non-diabetics, insulin was only associated with HOMA-IR (p = 0.002, R2 = 0.9031). When triglycerides were used as the dependent variable, they were associated with HOMA-IR in both groups (diabetics: p = 0.006, R2 = 0.2504; non-diabetics: p = 0.014, R2 = 0.4697). Additionally, the TG/HDL-C ratio was higher than 2.5 in 90% of diabetics and 83.33% of non-diabetic patients.

The high number of women with a TG/HDL-C ratio over 2.5, along with the links between insulin, HOMA-IR, and TG/HDL-C, as well as the correlations with apoB, non-HDL-C, and free cholesterol, should be considered as indicators of early coronary atherosclerosis in women.