Dyslipidemia in urban Thais

Serum lipid profiles were determined in 2,703 male and 792 female officials of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), aged 35-54 yrs, and 519 Ramathibodi Hospital Staff (RHS) consisting of 66 men and 453 women, aged 19-61 yrs. They are affluent-urban Thais. Mean serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) levels in EGAT officials were higher than those in RHS with the same sex, whereas the opposite result was observed for their serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Men also showed higher serum TC, LDL-C, and TG but lower HDL-C levels than women. The major type of dyslipidemia in EGAT officials and RHS was hypercholesterolemia due to elevated serum LDL-C levels, but the elevated LDL-C level in RHS was less severe than that in EGAT officials. Besides, the prevalence of serum HDL-C level of 1.55 mmol/L, a negative risk factor for coronary heart disease, in RHS was higher than that in EGAT officials. The mean percentages of dietary fat-calories consumed by EGAT officials and RHS were 39% and 31%, respectively. Thus it is plausible that dietary fat intake influences their serum lipid levels. The beneficial effects of linoleate intake on serum lipoprotein profiles are illustrated in RHS.