Factors associated with lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The Framingham study

Abstract

Lipoprotein cholesterol determinations in 6328 individuals aged 20 to 79 years in the Framingham Heart Study Cohort and Offspring were related by multiple regression analysis to reported cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and Quetelet Index (wt/ht2). Cigarette smoking was found to be strongly associated with "atherogenic" lipoprotein cholesterol profiles in young adults, and particularly in women. The associations for alcohol intake were mostly uniform across age groups and lipoprotein cholesterol fractions, while coefficients for Quetelet Index varied considerably. Blood chemistry associations were studied in participants under 50 years, after controlling for smoking, Quetelet Index, and alcohol intake. Significant associations for high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were seen for both sexes with alkaline phosphatase, serum calcium, serum u ric acid, and leucocyte count. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) associations were observed with calcium, hematocrit, lactate dehydrogenase, and leucocyte count in men and women, while very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) associations occurred with alkaline phosphatase, glucose, uric acid, and leucocyte count in both sexes. A 1 mg/dl higher calcium corresponded to an HDL-C approximately 4 mg/dl greater and a LDL-C typically 6 mg/dl greater after controlling for 12 other variables. A 1000/ml increase in leucocyte count was typically associated with a decrease in HDL-C by 1 mg/dl and an increase in LDL-C and VLDL-C of 1 mg/dl each.