Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To determine the relations between seven blood lipids such as total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), HDL-cholesterol(HDL), LDL-cholesterol(LDL), apolipoprotein A-1(Apo A1), apolipoprotein B(Apo B) and lipoprotein(a)(Lp(A)) and the coronary heart diseases(CHD), the quantitative techniques of meta-analysis were applied to studies of blood lipids and CHD in Koreans. METHODS: We searched the Korean and the English literature published from 1980 to August, 1997 by manual search and bibliography review. Information on sample size, study design, participant characteristics(gender, age) and blood lipid levels were abstracted by reviewers using inclusion criteria. Estimates of the effect sizes of blood lipid levels on CHD in Koreans and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-effect models. RESULTS: We identified 16 case-control studies to apply meta-analysis. The overall effect sizes for CHD were 20.3(95% CI : 14.23-26.22) in TC, 24.8(95% CI : 12.6-36.86) in TG, 15.16(95% CI : 3.99 - 26.33) in LDL, -3.48(95% CI : -5.79 - -1.17) in HDL, -9.78(95% CI : -16.98 - -2.58) in Apo-a1, 17.88(95% CI : 9.72 - 26.05) in Apo B and 18.95(95% CI : 17.88 - 20.02) in Lp(a). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that seven blood lipids were significantly associated with CHD in Koreans. Well-designed and prospective studies between blood lipids and CHD in Koreans should be performed.

• Keywords: Coronary heart diseaseBlood lipidKoreanMeta-analysis