Role of lipoprotein(a) in predicting the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetics: A Gensini score evaluation

The objective of the study was to investigate the usefulness of serum lipoprotein(a) level in predicting the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetics. A total of 1254 new on-set, consecutive coronary artery disease patients were classified into two groups: diabetes group (n = 380) and non-diabetes group (n = 874). The relationship between serum lipoprotein(a) levels and the severity of coronary artery disease assessed by Gensini score was analysed. Data showed that the diabetes group had higher serum triglyceride and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels but lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (all p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that lipoprotein(a) was an independent predictor for high Gensini score (odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.10-3.12, p = 0.029) after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, lipoprotein(a) levels were positively correlated with Gensini score (rho = 0.15, p = 0.014) and significantly elevated according to the tertiles of Gensini score (p = 0.008) in diabetics. However, no such results were observed in non-diabetics. Our data indicate that lipoprotein(a) is an independent predictor for the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease patients accompanied by type 2 diabetes, suggesting that these patients may benefit from lipoprotein(a) management in clinical assessment.