Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the population of industrialized countries and this condition is today considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases because, at least partly, it represents a prothrombotic state.
Methods: For this reason we have studied plasma lipid concentrations (C, TG, HDL-C), Lp(a) and some parameters of haemostasis (PAI-1, t-PA, D-dimer) in 41 non diabetic obese patients (38 females and 3 males) and in 36 healthy normal weight subjects.
Results: Lipid pattern has resulted in overlapping both in the two studied populations and in the two subgroups of pre- and postmenopausal women, while greater concentrations of Lp(a), (p < 0.001) and t-PA (p < 0.05) have been found in obese populations vs controls, but not different between the two subgroups; in particular, Lp(a) has resulted > 30 mg/dl in 34.14% of obese patients and in no case in the control group. Finally, Lp(a) concentrations have been found for the first time to be positively related to C and negatively to HDL-C in the obese population.
Conclusions: As Lp(a) is believed to be a pathogenetic linkage between atherogenesis and thrombosis and can be affected by weight loss, the efficacy of the reduction of high plasma levels of Lp(a) needs to be considered with longitudinal studies.