Serum lipid and lipoprotein profile in school children from a rural community

In 447 school children 5--16 years old, in one community, serum lipid and lipoprotein levels were estimated, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, beta- and pre-beta-lipoprotein cholesterol, alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol, and the serum concentrations of beta-, pre-beta-, and alpha-lipoproteins. Mean serum cholesterol of the entire group was 188 mg/100 ml, and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol constituted 68 mg/100 ml of this total. The levels of serum triglycerides (48.9 mg/100 ml) and pre-beta-lipoprotein (39.8 mg/100 ml) are low in children in comparison to adults. Except for pre-beta-lipoprotein levels, there was very little correlation between age and all lipids and lipoproteins in this age span. Slight differences in values were noted at certain age intervals, but there were no significant differences in values between sexes. These observations emphasize the need for evaluating lipid abnormalities in individual children by quantitating specific serum lipoproteins.