Ankle-arm blood pressure monitoring does not correlate with serum lipoprotein a in renal transplant recipients

Objective. Lipoprotein a [Lp(a)] is a strong biochemical risk factor that predicts posttransplant atherosclerosis. In this study we measured the ankle to arm blood pressure index (AAI) as a predictor of clinical atherosclerosis and assessed its relationship to serum Lp(a) values among 60 renal transplant recipients. Materials and Methods. After measuring the AAI in a recumbent position, biochemical factors including cholestrol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Lp(a) were measured by commercial kits in 60 renal transplant and 30 healthy subjects. Results were analyzed using SPSS. Results. Lp(a) concentrations were significantly higher among transplant recipients compared with the control group (P < .05). AAI was similar between the kidney transplant recipients and controls, showing no significant correlation of Lp(a) concentration with AAI. Conclusion. Increased serum Lp(a) in renal transplant recipients, a potent biochemical risk factor for atherosclerosis, was not associated with abnormal AAI.