Relationship of the Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio with a Vulnerable Plaque in Patients with Severe Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Case-Control Study in the Han Chinese Population.

Background: Carotid plaque is often an important factor in ischemic stroke after it changes from stable to vulnerable, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) are associated with plaque vulnerability. We aimed to investigate whether the LDL-c/HDL-c ratio, an easily available and novel biomarker, is associated with vulnerable plaques and enhances the warning effect on vulnerability compared to LDL-c or HDL-c alone.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 187 patients with severe CAS admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2019 to July 2021.