If the findings pan out, patients may someday be able to undergo tests to detect the fat and determine if they're in danger of suffering a heart attack.
Doctors say the findings give people more reason to limit fats in their diets and raise possibilities for new approaches to preventing heart disease.
The cause of blockage formations is unknown, although scientists have long suspected that a factor could be oxidized phospholipids, a type of fat that contributes to "bad cholesterol."
Previous research in animals has found that this fat, which floats in the bloodstream, contributes to blockage formation. This new study, led by Dr. Sotirios Tsimikas, at The University of California, San Diego, is the first to prove the same is true in humans.
Tsimikas used 504 people being tested for clogged arteries. Among those under the age of 60, people with the highest levels of oxidized phospholipids were three times more likely to develop blockages, as opposed to those with lower levels. Those with both high phospholipids and high cholesterol were at even greater risk.
Doctors indicate more research of various ethnic groups is needed before the results can be solidified.
