Ancillary SOL Study

In 2014, the American Heart Association (AHA) released a scientific statement on the status of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. In it, the authors wrote that “an incomplete understanding of Hispanic populations in academic research has produced a lack of comprehensive data addressing Hispanic health and CVD, discordant literature regarding CVD risk factors and its prevalence, and a decreased understanding of health status and risk factors contributing to health disparities for US Hispanics.”

In response, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) initiated the comprehensive long-term epidemiological study, “Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)” to describe the prevalence of select chronic diseases, the risk and/or protective factors associated with conditions, and the relationship between initial health profiles and subsequent events across major subgroups.

The Make Well Known Foundation supported an ancillary study within the SOL study—funding the additional laboratory analyses as well as providing personnel, analytic, and logistical support—to contribute to the characterization and evaluation of the differences in CVD risk, specifically LDL-C across Hispanic sub-populations.

LDL cholesterol is an important marker of cardiovascular risk and treatment to lower LDL prevents heart attacks and strokes. However, significant residual risk remains after reducing LDL that may be attributable to nontraditional lipid markers such as apoB and Lp(a). This is particularly relevant in the Hispanic population where there are higher prevalences of low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides despite similar LDL levels compared to non-Hispanic Whites. This translates to a more potentially risky cholesterol pattern of small, dense LDL that is more likely to transfer from the plasma to the arterial wall than its larger, more buoyant counterpart.

Our ancillary study describes the distribution of Lp(a) and apoB in the study population, and contributes to determining whether or not extreme values of lipid and blood cholesterol markers are key variables in predicting risk of ASCVD outcomes, and evaluate whether Hispanic subgroups—as defined by ancestral components or background of origin—modifies the association with ASCVD risk. This level of information provides clinicians and researchers with additional granular information to better equip the research and treatment process.

Visit the JAMA website to view the full SOL study >