The Study
Association between traditional cholesterol parameters, lipoprotein particle concentration, novel biomarkers and carotid plaques in retired National Football League players.
This study looked at 996 retired football players at one point in time and found that about 41% had plaque buildup in their neck arteries. It compared different cholesterol tests and found that measuring LDL particle number (LDL-P) was more linked to having plaques than the standard cholesterol test. But here's the important part: because researchers only looked at people once, they can't prove that high LDL-P actually causes the plaques to form - they can only show that these things tend to show up together.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Researchers tested if newer blood markers are better at finding early heart disease than standard cholesterol tests in 996 retired NFL players.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes significant - shows LDL particle counting is better than standard cholesterol or inflammation tests for predicting early heart disease in this population
- 241% had plaque in neck arteries.
- 3LDL particle count (LDL-P) was the best predictor.
- 4The inflammation marker hs-CRP did NOT predict plaque.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Atherosclerosis
Year
2012
Authors
S. Virani, L. Pompeii, A. Lincoln, R. Dunn, A. Tucker, Vijay Nambi, K. Nasir, R. Vogel, Jeffrey L Boone, A. Roberts, C. Ballantyne
Related Content
Claims (2)
When researchers used ultrasound to look at the neck arteries of former NFL players, they found that about 4 out of 10 had early plaque buildup - this is a hidden form of heart disease that doesn't cause any symptoms yet.
A blood test that measures inflammation (called HS-CRP) might tell doctors more about a patient's heart health risk than the standard cholesterol tests they normally use.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.