RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Is Not a Risk Factor for Recurrent Vascular Events in Patients With Vascular Disease on Intensive Lipid-Lowering Medication JF Journal of the American College of Cardiology FD American College of Cardiology SP 1834 OP 1841 DO 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.04.101 VO 62 IS 20 A1 van de Woestijne, Anton P. A1 van der Graaf, Yolanda A1 Liem, An-Ho A1 Cramer, Maarten J.M. A1 Westerink, Jan A1 Visseren, Frank L.J. A1 , YR 2013 UL http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/62/20/1834.abstract AB Objectives This study sought to evaluate the vascular risk of low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in relation to the use and intensity of lipid-lowering medication in patients with clinically manifest vascular diseases.Background Low levels of HDL-C are associated with an increased risk for vascular diseases and may contribute to residual vascular risk in patients already treated for other risk factors. However, post-hoc analyses from statin trials indicate that the vascular risk associated with low HDL-C may be low or even absent in patients using intensive statin therapy.Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of 6,111 patients with manifest vascular disease. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the risk of HDL-C on vascular events in patients using no, usual dose, or intensive lipid-lowering therapy.Results New vascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death) occurred in 874 subjects during a median follow-up of 5.4 years (interquartile range: 2.9 to 8.6 years). In patients not using lipid-lowering medication at baseline (n = 2,153), a 0.1 mmol/l increase in HDL-C was associated with a 5% reduced risk for all vascular events (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92 to 0.99). In patients on usual dose lipid-lowering medication (n = 1,910) there was a 6% reduced risk (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.98). However, in patients using intensive lipid-lowering treatment (n = 2,046), HDL-C was not associated with recurrent vascular events (HR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.07) irrespective of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level.Conclusions In patients with clinically manifest vascular disease using no or usual dose lipid-lowering medication, low plasma HDL-C levels are related to increased vascular risk, whereas in patients using intensive lipid-lowering medication, HDL-C levels are not related to vascular risk.