Comparison of flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery in coronary patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <80 mg/dl versus patients with levels 80 to 100 mg/dl

Testing of peripheral vascular endothelial function was performed in subjects who had coronary artery disease and a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level <100 mg/dl. LDL cholesterol was an independent predictor of flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (p = 0.010). The 63 subjects who had an LDL cholesterol level <80 mg/dl had better endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation 8.4 ± 3.8%) than did 47 subjects whose level of LDL cholesterol was 80 to 100 mg/dl (flow-mediated dilation 6.8 ± 4.0%, p = 0.03). The beneficial effects of LDL cholesterol levels <80 mg/dl on endothelial function were more apparent in subjects who had low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than in those who had normal levels. These data support recent reports that decreasing levels of LDL cholesterol below those currently recommended provides additional benefits and suggest that this benefit may be due in part to increased endothelial function.