Serum lipoprotein (a) in offspring of patients with premature myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES To compare serum Lp(a), lipids: TC, TG and lipoproteins: HDL-C and LDL-C levels of offspring with history of paternal myocardial infarction with the serum levels in offspring without paternal history of myocardial infarction. SETTING Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. METHODS Thirty offspring between the ages of 8-25 years with the history of paternal myocardial infarction were randomly selected from population and were matched with offspring having no history of parental myocardial infarction. RESULTS Offspring of fathers who had a myocardial infarction tended to have a significantly raised level of Lp(a) (p < 0.001) compared with those without parental history. None of the other lipoprotein variables we examined exhibited a significant difference between the two groups of subjects. CONCLUSION The offspring of fathers with early myocardial infarction have higher mean values of Lp(a) than control subjects suggesting that this lipid variable may strongly predispose to CAD.