OBJECTIVETo study the plasma lipid level in patients with cardiovascular disease in Guangzhou and investigate its changes over the 10 years from 1995 to 2005.

METHODSAccording to the cluster sampling method, 1768 patients were selected for the study from the total patients admitted in the Department of Cardiology of Nanfang Hospital between 1995 and 2005. These patients were divided into 6 groups, namely uncomplicated hypertension group, coronary artery disease (CAD) or CAD risk equivalent group, CAD complicated by CAD risk equivalent group, hypertension complicated by CAD or CAD risk equivalent group, hypertension complicated by CAD and CAD risk equivalent group, and other cardiovascular disease group. The data of the plasma lipid levels in these patients were analyzed statistically.

RESULTSSignificant changes occurred over the decade in the plasma lipid levels of these surveyed patients, and the TG, TC and HDL-C levels were significantly higher, but LDL-C levels significantly lower in patients surveyed in 2005 than in those surveyed in 1995. In 1995, the patients did not show gender-related difference in the plasma lipids, but till 2005, TG and HDL-C levels of the patients began to exhibit significant difference between genders. In 1995, patients with uncomplicated hypertension had the highest levels of TG, TC, and HDL-C among the patients of different cardiovascular conditions, but in 2005 this picture underwent obvious changes, and TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels differed significantly between patients with various conditions.

CONCLUSIONPlasma lipid levels of patients with cardiovascular diseases show significant changes over the 10 years with gender-related differences. In general, patients with uncomplicated hypertension have higher plasma lipid levels than those with other cardiovascular conditions.