Serum copper levels among patients of ischaemic heart disease - An experience from a tertiary care hospital in Bahawalpur,Pakistan

Aim: to compare serum copper levels of the patients of coronary artery disease and healthy controls. methods: it was a prospective,case control study. a total of 125 male participants were divided into controls (n=25),ischaemic subjects without infarction (n=50),and ischaemic subjects with previous or present infarction (n=50). the patients attending outpatient and indoor departments of cardiology,bvh bahawalpur were included in the study. the serum was analyzed for copper by atomic absorption spectrophotometery. the accepted reference range for copper in serum is 70-140 ug/dl. results: the mean age in the ischaemic heart disease patients without infarction (group-a) and with infarction (group-b) was 52.1 ± 1.22 and 50.74 ± 1.12 years respectively. the mean age in control group was 49.36 ± 2.01 years. family of ischaemic heart disease and history of smoking were more common among disease groups as compared to controls. serum copper levels were found to be significantly high in study sub-group b-2 (168.28±7.84 micrograms/dl) as compared to control group (141.12±6.43 micrograms/dl) and remaining study groups showed insignificant differences in serum copper levels. conclusion: increased copper level after acute myocardial infarction may be an effect of the disease rather than its cause.