Differences in lipoprotein particle subclass distribution for Japanese Americans in Hawaii and Japanese in Japan: the

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J David Curb1, Hirotsugu Ueshima, Beatriz L Rodriguez

  • 1Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 347 N. Kuakini St HPM9, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. curb@hawaii.edu

Journal of Clinical Lipidology
|January 26, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Japanese Americans exhibit higher concentrations of atherogenic lipoprotein subclasses and smaller particle sizes compared to Japanese in Japan, potentially explaining coronary heart disease (CHD) rate differences.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology
  • Lipoprotein Metabolism
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk is linked to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclass concentrations.
  • Japanese populations exhibit lower CHD rates than Japanese Americans, despite differing cholesterol trends.
  • Understanding these epidemiological disparities is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying lipoprotein subclass differences contributing to CHD rate variations.
  • To compare lipoprotein profiles between Japanese in Japan and Japanese Americans.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze lipoprotein subclasses.
  • Assessed lipoprotein particle concentration and size in Japanese and Japanese American cohorts.
  • Controlled for age and cardiovascular risk factors in statistical analyses.

Main Results:

  • Japanese Americans showed significantly higher concentrations of atherogenic VLDL, small LDL, and small HDL particles.
  • Japanese Americans had significantly lower concentrations of cardio-protective large LDL and large HDL particles.
  • Adjusting for body mass index partially attenuated observed lipoprotein differences, suggesting a role for lifestyle factors.

Conclusions:

  • Disparities in lipoprotein subclass distribution and lifestyle factors, such as body weight, likely contribute to differing CHD incidence.
  • These findings highlight the complex interplay between genetics, diet, and lifestyle in cardiovascular health outcomes.
Abstract

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