# Anhui Medical University: ApoE ε4 carriers had more severe coronary lesions in a study of 91 patients

- Published: 2026-11-11 17:39 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: ApoE ε4 genotype, coronary artery lesions, Gensini score, myocardial infarction risk, LDL-C and Lp(a), SLCO1B1 polymorphism, Han Chinese cohort, Anhui Medical University, Artery Research
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-7dd8af4ce2fd92b1552c1c2b_anhui_medical_university/

**In an observational study of 91 hospitalized patients in eastern China, the ApoE ε4 genotype was linked to higher LDL-C and Lp(a) and to more severe coronary artery lesions.**

![Anhui Medical University: ApoE ε4 carriers had more severe coronary lesions in a study of 91 patients](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/772de37e97dcafe2.jpg)
*Goleisureintl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

A team from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University reported in Artery Research an observational study of 91 patients hospitalized from June 2024 to December 2024. All participants were Han Chinese living in eastern China. The authors examined how polymorphisms of the APOE and SLCO1B1 genes relate to blood lipids and to the severity of coronary artery disease [1].

Coronary artery disease remains a leading contributor to cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Elevated lipoprotein(a) has been reported to add ischemic risk independently of LDL-C control, while earlier studies reached conflicting conclusions about how APOE polymorphisms affect Lp(a) and the extent of coronary lesions. The Anhui group assessed this question in a regional cohort.

## Study design and methods

The team measured serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HDL-C and lipoprotein(a). APOE and SLCO1B1 genotypes were determined by Sanger sequencing. Patients with severe renal or advanced liver dysfunction, cardiomyopathies, severe valvular disease, active malignancy, tuberculosis or systemic inflammatory disorders were not enrolled.

Participants were divided into three groups by Gensini score, an angiographic measure of coronary lesion severity. Lipid levels and genotype distributions were compared across the groups. The authors then built a Gensini score model and a myocardial infarction risk model from APOE genotype, LDL-C and other biomarkers that differed between groups [1].

## Results: ApoE ε4, lipids and infarction

Patients with the ε4 genotype had higher LDL-C and Lp(a) and higher Gensini scores (F = 11.591, P < 0.001). According to the authors, this indicates more severe coronary artery lesions than in the other groups [1]. In multiple linear regression, LDL-C level and ApoE genotype were independent predictors of lesion severity, while SLCO1B1 genotype had a minor effect on lipid levels and lesion severity [1].

The incidence of myocardial infarction differed significantly among ApoE genotypes (χ² = 6.49, P = 0.039) [1]. The area under the curve was 0.793 for the Gensini score model and 0.855 for the myocardial infarction model, which the authors describe as excellent predictive performance [1].

The authors conclude that APOE genotype is associated with LDL-C and Lp(a) concentrations, with the severity of coronary artery lesions and with the occurrence of myocardial infarction [1]. The work is an observational study of 91 patients, so it reports associations.

## Sources

1. [Artery Research](https://doi.org/10.1007/s44200-025-00092-w)
2. [bioengineer.org](https://bioengineer.org/apoe-epsilon-4-genotype-linked-to-severe-coronary-lesions-and-infarction)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-7dd8af4ce2fd92b1552c1c2b_anhui_medical_university/