Levels of Prebeta‐1 High‐Density Lipoprotein Are a Strong Independent Positive Risk Factor for Coronary Heart Disease and Myocardial Infarction: A Meta‐Analysis

Background We previously showed that levels of prebeta‐1 high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), the principal acceptor of cholesterol effluxed from cells, including artery wall macrophages, are positively associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) risk. Methods and Results In a multiethnic follow‐up cohort of 1249 individuals from University of California–San Francisco clinics, we determined the degree to which prebeta‐1 HDL levels, both absolute and percentage of apolipoprotein AI, are associated with CHD and history of MI. Independent, strong, positive associations were found. Meta‐analysis revealed for the absolute prebeta‐1 HDL for the top tertile versus the lowest, unadjusted odds ratios of 1.90 (95% CI, 1.40–2.58) for CHD and 1.79 (95% CI, 1.35–2.36) for MI. For CHD, adjusting for established risk factors, the top versus bottom tertiles, quintiles, and deciles yielded sizable odds ratios of 2.37 (95% CI, 1.74–3.25, P