Serum cholesterol and triglycerides in relation to ponderal index and age in two contrasting populations

One hundred and seventy six mentally retarded adult patients had their serum cholesterol, triglycerides and ponderal index determined during a seven week period and compared with those of a normal group of business executives being routinely screened by the same laboratory. A comparison of cholesterol and triglyceride levels showed those of the former group to be significantly lower, as dealt with in a previous paper by Lawlor, O'Hara and Birtwistle (1974). The values in mentally subnormal males showed no correlations with ponderal index, whereas the normal males showed highly significant correlations throughout. Both the normal and subnormal females showed highly significant correlations of cholesterol with triglyceride levels, and of age with cholesterol concentration, but not of ponderal index with either cholesterol or triglyceride levels.