[Blood cholesterol and triglycerides in adolescents during sexual development]

Cholesterol and triglyceride Serum concentrations were studied in 152 normal adolescents (53 males and 99 females) at an adolescent's health center at Valparaíso, Chile. Total cholesterol serum levels ranged from 120 mg/dl (10th percentile) throughout 220 mg.dl (90th percentile) and 20.4% of values for blood cholesterol were above 200 mg/dl. Triglyceride serum concentrations ranged from 57 mg/dl (10th percentile) throughout 161 mg/dl (90th percentile) and 11.9% of samples triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dl. There was only a slight tendency of association between breast stages 4 and 5 according to Tanner and high cholesterol serum levels. There were positive relationships between cholesterol serum levels and body mass index (p < 0.001) and also with family history of coronary heart disease (p < 0.02).