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[The effect of the socioeconomic level on the lipid pattern in children and adolescents]
M A Arias Alvarez1, M Sánchez Bayle, A González Vergaz
1Hospital del Niño Jesús, Madrid.
Background:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between socioeconomic status and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in children from Madrid.
Methods:
We studied 2224 boys and girls, ages 2-18 years, attending five different school centers. They were divided into three socioeconomic groups: low class, middle-low class and middle high class, in regard to their parent's occupation and educational attainment. The evaluation included a blood analysis of serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (CT), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA), apolipoprotein B100 (Apo B), and the Apo A/Apo B and LDL/HDL ratios.
Results:
There was a positive correlation between socioeconomic status and total cholesterol, Apo A, Apo B and Apo A/Apo B, whereas socioeconomic status and triglycerides were inversely related. The LDL/HDL ratio varied according to age.
Conclusions:
Unlike some previously published studies, we found that children belonging to high socioeconomic status have a more atherogenic lipid profile than those of middle low or low socioeconomic levels.