Serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol and factors influencing its level in healthy Chinese

Serum HDL-cholesterol (HDLc) levels were studied on 2399 healthy urban inhabitants, from newborn to 78 years of age, in Shanghai. The results were as follows. (1) Frequency distribution of serum HDLc levels in most groups was approximately normal after age 20. (2) The serum HDLc levels and HDLc/total cholesterol ratio varied with age and sex among healthy subjects. The mean values of HDLc for people over 30 years of age were 58.7 +/- 11.2 mg/100 ml for males and 62.5 +/- 12.2 mg/100 ml for females. The difference was of statistical significance (P less than 0.01). (3) The mean values of serum HDLc were found to be 40.9 +/- 6.0 mg/100 ml and 40.7 +/- 7.9 mg/100 in male and female neonates respectively. These figures are quite similar to those reported from Western countries and Japan. The serum HDLc level rose steadily with age and such elevation was more marked in females than males before age 30. However, the values became closer at age 60, then began to decrease in both sexes. (4) Serum HDLc levels varied markedly with body weight; they correlated negatively with the weight/height index. (5) No statistically significant relationship was found in Chinese between smoking or drinking and serum HDLc levels. The high level of HDLc seemed a result of environmental factors and is, possibly, related to the lower incidence of coronary heart disease in China.