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Rapid westernization of children's blood cholesterol in 3 countries: evidence for nutrient-gene interactions?

S C Couch1, A T Cross, K Kida

  • 1Institute of Human Nutrition, the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, and the School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|November 4, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Westernized diets and lifestyles are impacting children's health globally.
  • Understanding cholesterol changes in children is crucial for long-term cardiovascular well-being.
  • Cross-cultural comparisons offer insights into environmental and genetic influences on health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors influencing blood cholesterol levels in children from Japan, Spain, and the United States.
  • To compare cholesterol trends in relation to dietary and lifestyle changes in westernizing countries.
  • To identify potential discrepancies between predicted and actual cholesterol levels based on dietary intake.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of population data on serum cholesterol, lipoproteins, anthropometrics, and dietary intake.
  • Review of data for children aged 1-18 years from Japan, Spain, and the United States.
  • Application of the Hegsted equation to correlate dietary fat intake with serum cholesterol differences.

Main Results:

  • Total serum cholesterol in Japanese and Spanish children now exceeds the 75th percentile for US children, driven by LDL cholesterol.
  • Increased total and saturated fat intake observed in Japan and Spain, though still lower than in the US.
  • Dietary fat intake predicted cholesterol changes in Spain but not in Japan, where actual cholesterol was higher than predicted.

Conclusions:

  • Rapid westernization is leading to increased blood cholesterol concentrations in children in Japan and Spain.
  • Dietary fat intake correlates with cholesterol changes in Spain but not Japan, suggesting other factors are at play.
  • Genetic factors may influence Japanese children's response to diet, leading to higher cholesterol with lower fat intake compared to US children.

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