Black-white differences in plasma lipids and lipoproteins in adults: the Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic population study.

Black—white lipoprotein differences were studied in 43 pairs of adult males and 51 pairs of adult females to test the hypothesis that in a heterogeneous suburban biethnic setting, blacks have higher levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-HDL), lower levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-LDL), and lower levels of triglyceride (TG) when pair-matched by total plasma cholesterol, age, and sex with whites. With essentially identical total plasma cholesterol levels and comparable degrees of ponderosity, black males had lower plasma TG (P < 0.05) and higher plasma C-HDL levels (P < 0.005). There were no significant male black—white differences in C-LDL, but the ratio of C-LDL to C-HDL was lower in black males (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in any lipoprotein fractions or the C-LDL/C-HDL ratio between black and white females, although black females had slightly lower plasma TG and slightly higher C-HDL than white females.