Sex differences in high density lipoprotein cholesterol in urban blacks

Descriptive data on high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the black urban population of the United States are limited. We examined 119 men and 130 women aged 21-70 years who were attending a screening clinic at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, in 1985-1986 for minor complaints; all participants were black. For men, lipid values were: total cholesterol, 209.5 +/- 50.6, HDL cholesterol, 55.2 +/- 16.5; for women, values were: total cholesterol, 215.6 +/- 47.4, HDL cholesterol, 59.2 +/- 17.2. Correlates of HDL cholesterol were different in men and women. Alcohol consumption and body mass index were significantly related to HDL cholesterol in men; however, education was the only significant factor among women. It was anticipated that the increased obesity among the women in this sample (mean body mass index, 31 kg/m2; range, 18.4-50.0 kg/m2) compared with men (mean body mass index, 27 kg/m2; range, 19.4-45.0 kg/m2) would explain part of the narrowing of the gap between the sexes in HDL cholesterol values. The association between HDL cholesterol and body mass index among women, however, was weak and nonsignificant. The increased susceptibility of black women to coronary artery disease has not been adequately explained and undoubtedly reflects a complicated interaction of epidemiologic factors.