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Observational Study
. 2025 Feb 1;10(2):164-169.
doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2024.4789.

Heterogeneity of Apolipoprotein B Levels Among Hispanic or Latino Individuals Residing in the US

Leandro Slipczuk  1 , Toshiki Kuno  1   2 , Santica Marcovina  3 , Katrina Swett  1 , Kate K Orroth  4 , J Antonio G López  5 , Shia T Kent  4 , John N Booth 3rd  4 , Robert Kaplan  6 , Daniela Sotres-Alvarez  7 , Bharat Thyagarajan  8 , Tamar Sofer  9 , Martha L Daviglus  10 , Gregory A Talavera  11 , Parag H Joshi  12 , Carlos J Rodriguez  1   7
Affiliations
Observational Study

Heterogeneity of Apolipoprotein B Levels Among Hispanic or Latino Individuals Residing in the US

Leandro Slipczuk et al. JAMA Cardiol. .

Abstract

Importance: Apolipoprotein B (apoB) distribution and its implications as an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk-enhancing factor among individuals of diverse Hispanic or Latino backgrounds have not been described.

Objective: To describe the distribution of apoB in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) cohort and to characterize associations of baseline sociodemographic and clinical variables with apoB and self-identified Hispanic or Latino background.

Design, setting, and participants: The HCHS/SOL was a prospective, population-based cohort study of diverse Hispanic or Latino adults living in the US who were recruited and screened between March 2008 and June 2011. Sampling weights were used to generate a population-based sample of Hispanic or Latino participants aged 18 to 74 years who resided in 4 US metropolitan areas (Bronx, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and San Diego, California). ApoB concentration was measured in participants from the HCHS/SOL, and apoB tertiles were compared across demographic groups, including self-identified Hispanic or Latino background. Median percentage continental genetic ancestry (West African, Amerindian, and European) was compared across apoB tertiles.

Exposure: ApoB measured in mg/dL from serum or plasma using an immunoturbidimetric assay.

Main outcomes and measures: ApoB tertiles were determined, and traditional lipids were evaluated across apoB tertiles. ApoB and traditional lipid measurements were assessed across ASCVD risk categories. Additionally, scatterplots were created to observe correlations between apoB and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Results: Overall mean (SD) apoB concentration was 99.8 (0.4) mg/dL, with male participants displaying significantly higher mean levels than female participants (102.4 vs 97.4 mg/dL, respectively). Mean (SD) participant age was 41.1 (0.8) years, and 8376 participants (51.9%) were female. ApoB levels were higher among older age groups. There was significant heterogeneity in mean apoB concentrations across self-identified Hispanic or Latino background groups, ranging from 95.1 mg/dL in Dominican individuals to 104.8 mg/dL in Cuban individuals. The prevalence of elevated apoB (≥130 mg/dL) was greater across higher predicted ASCVD risk categories. Among participants with a 10-year predicted ASCVD risk of 7.5% or higher, 26.5% had an elevated apoB. Median West African ancestry was lower across higher tertiles of apoB.

Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study among participants from the HCHS/SOL, elevated apoB was present in one-quarter of a diverse cohort study of Hispanic or Latino individuals who were at intermediate or high predicted ASCVD risk. Differences in apoB distribution among Hispanic or Latino individuals may have important implications for apoB's use in ASCVD risk assessment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Slipczuk reported grants from Amgen during the conduct of the study. Dr Orroth reported personal fees from Amgen during the conduct of the study. Dr Lopez reported being an employee of and shareholder in Amgen during the conduct of the study. Dr Kent reported being an employee of and shareholder in Amgen during the conduct of the study. Dr Booth reported being an employee of and shareholder in Amgen during the conduct of the study. Dr Kaplan reported grants from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) outside the submitted work. Dr Sotres-Alvarez reported grants from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill during the conduct of the study. Dr Thyagarajan reported grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Sofer reported grants from the National Human Genome Research Institute outside the submitted work. Dr Daviglus reported grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Joshi reported grants from Amgen during the conduct of the study and grants from Novartis and Novo Nordisk outside the submitted work. Dr Rodriguez reported partial grant support from Amgen and grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. No other disclosures were reported.

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