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Inverse relationship in Jamaica between plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and
Insights
Higher plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are linked to lower coronary heart disease risk factors in Jamaican men. This suggests HDL cholesterol may be a simpler predictor of heart disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Lipid Metabolism
- Preventive Cardiology
Background:
- Plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
- Understanding the relationship between HDL cholesterol and coronary risk factors is crucial for preventive strategies.
- Previous studies suggest an inverse correlation between HDL cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relationship between plasma HDL cholesterol concentration and multiple coronary risk factors in clinically healthy middle-aged men.
- To compare these risk factors between urban and rural populations in Jamaica.
- To determine the predictive value of HDL cholesterol for coronary risk.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two middle-aged, clinically healthy men from urban and rural Jamaica were studied.
- Data collected included plasma lipid profiles (HDL, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides), blood glucose, body fat, and exercise performance.
- Multilinear regression analysis was used to identify independent correlations between HDL cholesterol and various risk factors.
Main Results:
- Rural farmers exhibited better exercise performance, lower body fat, and lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose compared to urban businessmen.
- Mean plasma HDL cholesterol was significantly higher in farmers than in businessmen.
- HDL cholesterol concentration was independently and inversely correlated with plasma triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure, independent of other factors like age, adiposity, and exercise performance.
Conclusions:
- Plasma HDL cholesterol concentration was highest in subjects with the lowest overall coronary risk profile.
- These findings support the hypothesis that coronary risk is inversely related to plasma HDL cholesterol concentration.
- Plasma HDL cholesterol may serve as a simpler and effective marker for estimating coronary risk compared to multiple lipid risk factors and blood pressure.
Abstract:
1. The relation between plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration and multiple coronary-risk factor status has been assessed in fifty-two middle-aged clinically healthy men from urban and rural Jamaica. 2. Rural hill-farmers had a superior exercise performance (assessed by the responses to submaximal test exercise), less body fat, and lower fasting levels for plasma total cholesterol, low-density liproprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total triglyceride and blood glucose than urban businessmen. Mean plasma HDL cholesterol was considerably higher in farmers then businessmen. 3. Multilinear regression analysis showed HDL cholesterol concentration to be independently and inversely correlated with plasma triglyceride, LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure and that these relationships applied across the urban and rural sub-groups. There was also some evidence that HDL cholesterol concentration increased with stature. When these factors were taken into account, age, ethnic group, adiposity, weight, exercise performance, smoking history and blood glucose made no further significant contribution to the prediction of HDL cholesterol concentration. 4. Thus plasma HDL cholesterol concentration was highest in those subjects with the lowest coronary-risk as predicted by their multiple risk-factor status, an observation which supported other evidence that coronary-risk is inversely related to plasma HDL concentration. 5. The results raise the possibility that coronary-risk can be more simply estimated from the plasma HDL cholesterol concentration than from a consideration of other major lipid risk factors and blood pressure.