The relationship of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to obesity, drinking and smoking habits

Subjects were a total of 726 Japanese male transport service workers between the ages of 35 and 50. They were analyzed for obesity and drinking or smoking habits in relation to their HDL-cholesterol level and total cholesterol concentration. The cases were 100 low HDL-cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dl) and 121 high total cholesterol (greater than 230 mg/dl) subjects. We used a multiple logistic regression analysis. As for abnormally high total cholesterol, it was determined that the odds ratios at 40, 45, and 50 years of age were 1.95, 2.23, and 2.65, respectively, when 35-year-olds were considered the baseline. Abnormally high total cholesterol showed an odds ratio of 0.27 among thin subjects with a Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 21.0, when subjects with a standard BMI were calculated as the baseline. With reference to low HDL-cholesterol, the odds ratio for lean subjects was 0.30 against those who had standard habitus, while subjects with a BMI of more than 25.1 had an odds ratio of more than double. Compared with nondrinkers, low HDL-cholesterol exhibited odds ratios of 0.16 and 0.23, respectively, for moderate and heavy drinkers. In cases of low HDL-cholesterol, the odds ratios for mild and heavy smokers were 1.91 and 2.27, respectively, versus nonsmokers.