A retrospective case-control study of modifiable risk factors and cutaneous markers in Indian patients with young coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE Indians have the highest risk rates for coronary artery disease (CAD) among all ethnic groups. There is a paucity of data on the risk factors and clinical markers associated with premature CAD. We aimed to determine whether young CAD is due to preventable lifestyle-related factors and cutaneous clinical markers are useful in identifying at-risk patients. DESIGN Single-centre retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS A total of 292 patients (age ≤40 years) who presented with acute CAD between January 2005 and June 2009 and 92 age, and gender-matched controls. MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURES Details of smoking, family history of premature CAD, waist size, blood sugar and lipid profile. Clinical evidence of arcus juvenilis, premature greying of hair and premature baldness sought. RESULTS Dyslipidaemia (91%), smoking (74.3%), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (68.9%), central obesity (47.7%) and greying of hair (34.9%) were the most commonly associated factors. Compared with male patients, females had greater prevalence of dyslipidaemia, low HDL-C, central obesity, hypertension, diabetes and family history of premature CAD. The presence of cutaneous markers was significantly associated with premature CAD. CONCLUSIONS CAD in young Indian people is multifactorial; dyslipidaemia, low HDL-C, smoking, hypertension, central obesity and family history of premature CAD are the most common risk factors. Smoking in men and central obesity in women are the most prevalent factors. Clinicians should be highly suspicious of patients with presence of cutaneous markers, and they should be followed intensively for lifestyle modifications.