Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A-I in Relation to the Metabolic Syndrome and Change in Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness During 3 Years in Middle-Aged Men

Background and Purpose— The apolipoprotein B (apoB)/apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) ratio is a measure of the relationship between different lipoprotein particles and a powerful predictor of coronary death. The aim was to examine whether apoB/apoA-I was associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) at baseline and also with the future change in carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Methods— In 313 58-year-old men, carotid artery IMT was measured bilaterally by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up. Serum apolipoprotein concentrations and the components of MetS were measured at study entry. Results— ApoB/apoA-I showed statistically significant associations with body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, insulin, and diastolic blood pressure. Two thirds of the patients with MetS had high apoB/apoA-I ratios (>0.90) compared with one third of those without the syndrome (P...