Evaluation of Atherogenic Indexes in Patients With Lichen Planopilaris: A Case-Control Study

TL;DR

This study finds that patients with lichen planopilaris have higher cardiovascular risk based on lipid profiles and atherogenic indexes compared to healthy individuals.

Contribution

The study is the first to evaluate atherogenic indexes in lichen planopilaris patients, linking them to increased cardiovascular risk.

Findings

LPP patients had significantly higher triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, and atherogenic indexes compared to controls.

LPP patients were more likely to be in high-risk categories for cardiovascular indices like CRI-I, CRI-II, and AC.

Abstract

Introduction: Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a chronic cicatricial alopecia characterized by lymphocytic inflammation leading to permanent hair follicle destruction. It is associated with several systemic conditions, including hypothyroidism, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum lipid parameters and atherogenic indexes to evaluate the cardiovascular risk status in patients with LPP.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted with 115 LPP patients and 115 healthy controls without LPP. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were retrieved from hospital records. Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP), Castelli Risk Index (CRI) I and II, and Atherogenic Coefficient (AC) were calculated based on lipid profiles.

Results: LPP patients had significantly higher serum TG, total cholesterol, LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, CRI-I, CRI-II, and AC. Additionally, LPP patients were more likely to fall into the high-risk category for CRI-I, CRI-II, and AC.

Conclusions: Our study shows that patients with LPP have a higher pro-atherogenic lipid profile and atherogenic indexes. Systemic inflammation and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling dysregulation may underlie this association, necessitating closer cardiovascular and lipid monitoring in LPP patients.