Social and dietary predictors of serum lipids: a Brazilian example

The importance of an unfavorable profile of serum lipids in the atherosclerotic process has been unequivocally established, but the determinants of serum lipids remain a source of controversy. This controversy includes both the importance of diet as a precursor of an unfavorable lipid profile, and the potential importance of social and psychological factors in determining lipid values. These questions were addressed in a study of serum lipids in urban Brazil. It was found that both dietary and social-psychological factors were associated with total serum cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum triglycerides. This exploratory study highlights the importance of the careful measurement of dietary intake, and the inclusion of theoretically relevant social and psychological variables, in any study of serum lipids.