Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in the area. The buildup of lipids, fibrous components, and calcification in the major arteries is a hallmark of atherosclerosis. Endothelium activation starts this process, which is followed by a series of events that suggest vessel narrowing and the initiation of inflammatory pathways that result in the creation of atheroma plaque. When combined, these processes lead to cardiovascular problems.

Globally, 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular disease. Heart attacks and strokes kill four out of five cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, and one third are premature in those under 70 years’ Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in Iraq. In patients with a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, CAD can occasionally develop earlier and involve the coronary tree with more severe lesions.

Small dense LDL (Sd LDL) is one of these sub-fractions that stands out due to its smaller particle size and increased density. Sd LDL is more able to attach to and penetrate the arterial wall, has a longer plasma half-life, Sd LDL significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to several specific characteristics that make it more atherogenic (more likely to cause plaque build-up in arteries ). Associated with other Risk Factors (Insulin resistance or Type 2 diabetes, High triglycerides, Low HDL cholesterol). The aim of the to study the relationship between the level of small dense LDL -C and patient with CVD.

Materials and Methods: A case control-study in which 80 patients with CVD and 80 age- and sex-matched patients with catheterization was normal controls. Serum level of the aforementioned markers was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and automated biochemistry instrument.

Results: All the measured markers showed significant difference in patients with CVD when compared to controls group (p value < 0.001) for Lipid profile, FBS, HbA1c, Hs CRP, Ox LDL, and Sd LDL. Hs CRP, Ox LDL, and non-significant difference between patients of CVD according to number of Catheterization by Gensini score (p>0.05).

Conclusion: The study's main conclusion was that, as compared to the control group, patients with CVD had noticeably higher serum Sd LDL levels. Furthermore, in accordance with the number of catheterizations by Gensini score, there were non-significant variations in the blood levels of all biochemical markers of patients with CVD. This might not be disclosed without a larger sample size.