Study of Lipid Parameters and Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in North Africa

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between cardiovascular risk factors and levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoprotein A, and apolipoprotein B. This study included two groups: The first group consisted of 147 patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke (IS). These patients were recruited from the Cardiology Department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital Center in Casablanca, Morocco. The second group comprised 140 healthy individuals recruited from the Biomedical Center of the Pasteur Institute in Casablanca, Morocco. These individuals showed no signs of cardiovascular disease and were not undergoing any medical treatment. The mean ages of the patients and the control group were 62.15 ± 11.02 years and 54.74 ± 6.59 years, respectively. The levels of apolipoprotein A and B were 1.23 ± 0.31 g/L and 0.93 ± 0.21 g/L in patients and 1.45 ± 0.19 g/L and 0.92 ± 0.10 g/L in healthy individuals, respectively. The results showed significantly lower levels of apolipoprotein A in patients compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Although apolipoprotein B levels varied between the two groups, the difference was not statistically significant. Risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were found to play a major role in the development of cardiovascular diseases. This study confirms that LDL levels and apolipoprotein A, along with cardiovascular risk factors, contribute to the severity of cardiovascular diseases.