Interdependence of associations of physical activity, smoking, and alcohol and coffee consumption with serum high-density lipoprotein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol--a population study in eastern Finland

The interdependence of the associations of physical activity, smoking, and consumption of alcohol and coffee with serum high-density lipoprotein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations was studied in 9,347 persons ages 25-64 years from east and southwest Finland. In covariance analyses with corrections for age, body mass index, saturated fat index, and fasting time, the mean adjusted serum high-density lipoprotein to non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio was high among physically active male non-smokers but not among smokers (P = 0.024 for two-way interaction). The cholesterol ratio was lower among both men (P = 0.010 for two-way interaction) and women (P = 0.030 for two-way interaction) reporting no or very little use of alcohol, and this association was stronger among smokers and women with high coffee consumption (P less than 0.001 for two-way interaction). Our data suggest that the elevating effect of regular physical exercise on serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol may be absent in smokers, whereas that of alcohol is greater in smokers than nonsmokers. High coffee consumption associates with decreased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in smokers but increased levels in non-smokers.     

Lack of an association between coffee consumption and lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins in young adults: The beaver county study

The relationship between coffee consumption and lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins was examined in 472 white men and women (20-24 years of age) in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, during 1981-1982. Coffee intake, expressed as nondrinker, one to two cups per day, and three or more cups per day, was unrelated to total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or apoproteins AI, AII, or B. After covariate adjustment for cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, and adherence to a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, the results remained essentially unchanged. The only statistically significant finding was that women who consumed three or more cups of coffee per day had significantly lower triglyceride concentrations compared with coffee nondrinkers (P less than 0.05). Thus, these findings fail to substantiate a significant association of low to moderate coffee intake with an increased lipid and apoprotein risk profile in these young adults.     

Coffee, caffeine, and serum cholesterol in Japanese men in Hawaii

The relationship between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol was investigated in a cohort of 5,858 Japanese males born in 1900-1919 and living in Hawaii in 1965 who are currently followed by the Honolulu Heart Program. Data on coffee consumption, other dietary variables from a 24-hour dietary recall, and other potentially confounding variables collected in 1965 were correlated with serum cholesterol at that examination and at examination six years later. The mean coffee and tea consumption was 3.4 and 1.8 cups/day, respectively. Those consuming no coffee had a mean serum cholesterol of 210 mg/dl, while that of those drinking 9+ cups/day was 220 mg/dl (no such relationship was apparent with tea or cola). The relationship of coffee consumption and serum cholesterol with potentially confounding variables including body mass index, cigarette smoking, diastolic blood pressure, alcohol consumption, physical activity index, serum glucose, serum uric acid, education, age, and fat consumption was examined. When these variables were entered into a multiple regression equation with coffee consumption, a significant relationship between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol (p less than 0.001) persisted, as did that between baseline coffee consumption and serum cholesterol six years later (p less than 0.001). There was no significant relationship between tea or cola, the other major caffeine contributors to the diet, and baseline serum cholesterol. Thus, this analysis indicates a significant positive relationship between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol which is not present with other sources of caffeine.     

Adverse influences of alcohol, tobacco, and oral contraceptive use on cardiovascular risk factors during transition to adulthood

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease were measured in 990 young adults, aged 17-24 years, in a 1982-1983 survey of the biracial (black-white) community of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Even after controlling for age and obesity, several lifestyle factors (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and oral contraceptive use) were independently related (p less than 0.05) to levels of serum lipids, lipoprotein cholesterol fractions, and blood pressure. Oral contraceptive use was associated with increased levels of both serum triglycerides (20 mg/dl, blacks; 25 mg/dl, whites) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (19 mg/dl, whites), and decreased levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (-6 mg/dl, whites). Linear regression analyses also showed that cigarette smoking was associated with elevated levels of serum triglycerides (ranging from 15 to 26 mg/dl) and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol (ranging from -9 to -11 mg/dl) in white males and females. Although persons who smoked cigarettes were also likely to consume alcohol, alcohol intake in nonsmokers was positively associated with levels of serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol in white males, and with blood pressure levels in black males. A statistically significant association between alcohol intake and HDL cholesterol levels (r = 0.24) was observed only in white females who did not smoke. These adverse influences of lifestyle factors on cardiovascular disease risk may provide a rational basis for intervention during adolescence and early adulthood.     

Relationship between lifestyle and serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in middle-aged Japanese men

Cross-sectional associations between lifestyle factors [cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, overall obesity indicated by body mass index (BMI), eating breakfast, snacking between meals, considering nutritional balance, coffee drinking, physical exercise, and hours of work and sleep] and serum lipid and lipoprotein levels were examined in 1580 middle-aged Japanese men in Osaka, Japan. From stepwise regression analyses, significant correlates with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and Log triglyceride levels were, in the order of relative importance: BMI, alcohol intake (negative), and age for LDL cholesterol level; BMI (negative), cigarette smoking (negative), alcohol intake, considering nutritional balance, and physical exercise for HDL cholesterol level; and BMI, cigarette smoking, working hours (negative), considering nutritional balance (negative), alcohol intake, and coffee drinking (negative) for Log triglyceride level. The cumulative percentages of variation for LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and Log triglyceride levels were 4.2%, 15.4% and 14.7%, respectively. From stepwise regression analyses, excluding BMI as a factor in the model, snacking between meals emerged as a significant factor for LDL cholesterol level and HDL cholesterol level (negative). The cumulative percentage of variation for each serum lipid and lipoprotein level was decreased (1.5% for LDL cholesterol, 6.8% for HDL cholesterol, and 3.1% for Log triglyceride). These results suggest that BMI has the strongest association with serum lipid and lipoprotein levels and that good daily lifestyles may have an anti-atherogenic effect by altering serum lipid and lipoprotein levels in middle-aged Japanese men.     

Association of lifestyle with serum lipid levels: a study of middle-aged Japanese men

Cross-sectional associations between lifestyle and serum lipid levels were examined in 1591 Japanese male office workers aged 35 to 59 years in Osaka, Japan. From multiple linear regression analyses, significant correlates with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and Log triglyceride levels and the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol were, in the order of relative importance: BMI, alcohol intake (negative) and age for LDL cholesterol level; BMI (negative), cigarette smoking (negative), alcohol intake, consideration for nutritional balance, hours of brisk walking, hours of walking at an ordinary pace and physical exercise for HDL cholesterol level; BMI, cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), hours of work (negative), alcohol intake and coffee drinking (negative) for Log triglyceride level; and BMI, alcohol intake (negative), cigarette smoking, consideration for nutritional balance (negative), age, hours of brisk walking (negative) and the frequency of snack intake between meals for the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol. Our data suggest that obesity, cigarette smoking and snack intake between meals are atherogenic whereas alcohol consumption, consideration for nutritional balance and walking long hours, especially at a brisk pace, are anti-atherogenic in middle-aged Japanese men.     

Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio as predictors of serum concentration of lipids in Brazilian men

OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether waist circumference can predict a lipid profile beyond that predicted by body fatness alone, after adjustment for important confounding variables such as smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activity. The purpose of this non-clinical, healthy-subject study was to test this hypothesis. METHODS: Data refer to 416 men, ages 20 to 58 y with a body mass index between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m(2), who were blood donors living in a Brazilian city. Alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical activity were evaluated by interview; body fat was measured by electrical bioimpedance, and weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured by trained anthropometrists. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to quantify the association between measurements of fat distribution (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio) and the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerols independently of measurements of fatness and potentially confounding factors. RESULTS: Waist circumference was strongly correlated with percentage of body fat (r = 0.90), whereas waist-to-hip ratio was less correlated (r = 0.55). After adjustment for age, percentage of body fat, smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activity, waist circumference was not significantly related to the ratio of total cholesterol high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, whereas the waist-to-hip ratio was strongly associated among the youngest subjects (beta = 3.51, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Although several studies have analyzed the association between serum lipids with anthropometric markers, few, including the present one, support waist circumference as a good predictor of lipid profile.     

Meat consumption and its associations with other diet and health factors in young adults: the CARDIA study

Using cross-sectional data from the longitudinal Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, we assessed associations between meat consumption and other dietary- and health-status indicators. Less than one percent of this sample (n = 32) ate no red meat or poultry, and another 1% (n = 47) ate red meat or poultry less than once per week. Individuals who ate red meat and poultry less than once per week were less likely to drink alcohol (P = 0.003); reported more physical activity (P less than or equal to 0.001); had lower [corrected] Keys scores (P less than or equal to 0.001); consumed diets higher in carbohydrates, starch, fiber, vitamins A and C, and calcium and lower in energy, fat, and protein (P less than or equal to 0.001); had smaller body sizes as indicated by the body mass index [calculated as wt(kg)/ht(m2)] (P = 0.01); and had lower concentrations of total serum cholesterol (P = 0.001), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.001), and triglycerides (P = 0.015) compared with individuals who consumed meat more frequently.     

Cancer mortality and lipid and lipoprotein levels. Lipid Research Clinics Program Mortality Follow-up Study

The associations of serum lipid and lipoprotein levels with the risk of cancer mortality were assessed in 2,753 men and 2,476 women aged 40-79 years at baseline (1972-1976) who participated in the Lipid Research Clinics Program Mortality Follow-up Study through 1984. Seventy-nine cancer deaths occurred in men and 65 occurred in women during an average follow-up time of 8.4 years. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly inversely associated with overall cancer mortality in men, but no relation was observed in women. Neither high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol nor triglycerides were significantly related to total cancer mortality in either sex, although in women. HDL cholesterol was positively associated with risk of death from gynecologic cancers. Compared with men with higher cholesterol levels, the relative risk of death from colon cancer, adjusted for age, body mass, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, was 5.20 (95 percent confidence interval (Cl) 1.61-16.8) in men with total cholesterol levels less than or equal to 187 mg/dl and 4.79 (95 percent CI 1.37-16.8) in those with LDL cholesterol levels less than or equal to 119 mg/dl. Death from smoking-related cancers was inversely related to baseline total cholesterol but not to LDL cholesterol. The absence of an association with HDL cholesterol, which has been shown to be lower in persons with clinically manifest malignancy, and evidence from survival curves suggest that the inverse relation in men is not due to preexisting disease.     

我国体检人群不良生活方式与代谢指标异常的相关分析

目的了解我国体检人群不良生活方式和代谢指标异常之间的关系。方法收集全国65家体检机构2009年169251人次的体检数据,分析吸烟、运动、饮酒与空腹血糖和血脂异常之间的关系。结果体检人群的吸烟率、运动率、过量饮酒率分别为37．2％、42．8％、25．9％。吸烟、缺少运动、过量饮酒对体检人群空腹血糖和血脂的水平有明显影响,可增加或降低相应指标的异常率。比如男性体检人群吸烟组血糖正常检出率仅为85．1％,而不吸烟组血糖正常检出率为88．0％,两组差异有统计学意义。结论吸烟、缺少运动、过量饮酒等不良生活方式对我国体检人群空腹血糖和血脂水平有明显影响。戒烟、限酒、增加体力活动有利于体检人群控制空腹血糖和血脂水平,降低心血管疾病的发病风险。     

吸烟量与冠心病关系的病例对照研究

目的 确定吸烟量与冠心病的关系。方法 355例冠状动脉造影的患者（A组，无冠心病患者142例；B组，冠心病患者213例），以性别，年龄，体重指数，空腹血糖，总胆固醇，甘油三酯，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇，低密度脂蛋白胆固醇，纤维蛋白原，吸烟量等级，冠心病家族史，高血压病等多重危险因素以及冠状动脉严重程度评分进行多变量分析。结果 单因素分析，冠心病的OR值95％可信区间（CI）：吸烟与不吸烟比较为1．629－2．598，P＜0．05；吸烟3级时与不吸烟比较为1．260－3．907，P＜0．01。多元logistic回归分析显示：吸烟等级，性别，纤维蛋白原，空腹血糖与冠心病相关，年龄与冠心病基本，各吸烟级别分别进行多元logistic回归分析显示：与不吸烟组比较，吸烟1级时与冠心病无关（OR＝0．948，P＝0．959），吸烟3级的冠心病风险OR为3．519（P＝0．003，95％CI：1．538－8．053）；吸烟2级以上（2＋3级）与2级以下（0＋1）比较，OR为2．094（P＋0．027），3级与3级以下（0＋1＋2）比较OR为3．463（P＝0．002）。以上病例分为3组；对照组，稳定型心绞痛组和不稳定型心绞痛组。用多维logistic回归分析显示，与不稳定型心绞痛比较，稳定型心绞痛组吸烟对患不稳定型心绞痛的风险OR为0．803（P＝0．112）。结论 吸烟与冠心病独立相关，吸烟量越大，年限越长冠心病的相对危险度越高。吸烟级别与不稳定型心绞痛无独立相关，此外，年龄，性别，纤维蛋白原，空腹血糖与冠心病独立相关。     

Lipids and lipoproteins in a young adult population. The Beaver County Lipid Study

Though atherosclerosis may have its origins in childhood, intervention studies on coronary heart disease risk factors have usually begun in older adults. Whether young adults exhibit similar relationships of lifestyle to coronary heart disease risk factors, and therefore might be suitable candidates for appropriate intervention, is poorly understood. The Beaver County Lipid Study is a 9-year follow-up study of a free-living young adult population (mean age 22 years) who were initially screened for hypercholesterolemia as seventh grade school children. This report focuses upon cross-sectional correlates of lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in 561 individuals (males n = 262; females n = 299) in 1981-1982. Body mass index was positively related to low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides in men (r = 0.21; p less than 0.001 and r = 0.41; p less than 0.001) and women (r = 0.16; p less than 0.001 and r = 0.20; p less than 0.001). Cigarette smoking was inversely associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in men (r = -0.11; p less than 0.001) and women (r = -0.20; p less than 0.001) but positively related to triglycerides in both sexes (r = 0.10; p = 0.05 for men and r = 0.19; p less than 0.01 for women). Alcohol consumption was positively related to HDL cholesterol and triglycerides only among men (r = 0.19; p less than 0.001 and r = 0.12; p less than 0.05, respectively). Educational achievement was also positively related to HDL cholesterol in men (p less than 0.01) and women (p less than 0.001). Multivariate analyses indicate that the sex difference in LDL cholesterol was largely eliminated by controlling for body mass index while significant sex differences in both HDL cholesterol and triglycerides remained after controlling for covariates. Results suggest that the known associations in older adults of body mass index and health-related behavior with lipoproteins are well established by young adulthood. Early intervention particularly for obesity may help ameliorate some of the male excess in cardiovascular disease risk.     

Effects of physical activity on weight reduction in obese middle-aged women.

Increased physical activity consisting of jog-walking 2.5 miles and 1 hr of calisthenics/week was the primary focus of a 17-week weight reduction program in 22 obese (X = 40% body fat) women ages 30 to 52, many of whom had failed at previous attempts to lose weight by dieting alone. Regular exercise was also increased substantially on an individual basis. Caloric restriction was self-determined and was generally moderate, accounting for about 60% of the total mean energy deficit. Initial and final evaluations included body composition by hydrostatic weighing, progressive multistage exercise testing, and plasma lipid and lipoprotein analyses. A mean relative body fat reduction of 5% (P less than or equal to 0.001) was achieved by a drop in fat body weight (X = 5.4 kg; P less than or equal to 0.001) which closely paralleled that of total body weight (X = 4.2 kg; P less than or equal to 0.001). Mean heart rates and systolic blood pressures at identical submaximal exercise intensities were significantly lower at the time of reevaluation. Mean plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations did not change significantly (P greater than 0.05). However, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio increased significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05). Increased physical activity combined with moderate dieting is a feasible approach to weight reduction in middle-aged women.     

The Troms? heart study: coronary risk factors and their association with living conditions during childhood.

We examined the relation between questionnaire answers concerning living conditions during childhood and coronary risk factors in 7405 men and 7247 women. Poverty during childhood was positively associated with age-adjusted levels (p less than 0.05) of total cholesterol and percentage of current smokers (men only) and negatively associated with body height. When cholesterol was adjusted for age, body mass index, leisure time physical activity, coffee and alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking there was a significant linear trend in women (p less than or equal to 0.0001) but not in men (p = 0.224). Analysing only subjects born in Troms county, giving a more homogeneous population, the linear trend became significant (p = 0.011) for men also. We conclude that childhood poverty followed by a high standard of living operates, at least partly, as a risk factor for coronary heart disease through conventional risk factors.     

An evaluation of efficacy of cigarette smoking cessation in preventing low levels of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol

Correlation of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption habit was investigated in 562 male office workers aged 31 to 60 yr. HDL-C concentrations were found to be positively associated with alcohol consumption in subjects with relative weight below 10%, but a positive association was not observed in obese subjects having relative weight of 10% or above. In contrast, HDL-C levels were significantly lower in smokers than in non-smokers regardless of obesity. The effectiveness of smoking cessation in preventing low levels of serum HDL-C was estimated by comparing prevalence rates of HDL-C levels lower than an arbitrarily determined HDL-C cutoff value in smokers with those in non-smokers. The estimation was made with unadjusted subjects and also with subjects adjusted for age, relative weight and alcohol consumption. The effectiveness was found to be considerably high in heavy smokers having lower HDL-C levels (less than or equal to 35 mg/dl) with or without hypercholesterolemia (greater than or equal to 220 mg/dl) and further remarkably high in all smokers having hypertriglyceridemia (greater than or equal to 300 mg/dl) besides lower HDL-C levels. It is therefore expected that health education focused on stopping smoking can produce favorable alterations in HDL-C for preventing coronary heart disease, especially in heavy smokers having low serum HDL-C levels concomitant with hypercholesterolemia and/or hypertriglyceridemia.     

Cigarette smoking initiation and longitudinal changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins in early adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study

To examine the influence of cigarette smoking initiation on serum lipid and lipoprotein changes in early life, 747 nonsmoking 9- to 17-year-olds from the biracial community of Bogalusa, Louisiana were reexamined five to six years following an initial screening. Upon reexamination in 1981-1983, 147 reported smoking cigarettes (mean duration, 3.5 years; median number of weekly cigarettes, 20). Compared with nonsmokers, persons who began smoking had more unfavorable changes in serum triglycerides and lipoprotein cholesterol levels during follow-up, independently of age, sexual maturation, obesity, alcohol consumption, and oral contraceptive use in females. Smoking initiation was not associated with increases in serum total cholesterol levels, but compared with nonsmokers, white males and white females smoking three or more packs weekly showed additional mean increases of 13.2 and 11.6 mg/dl in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, additional 5.9 and 2.4 mg/dl increases in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and additional decreases of 15.6 and 9.2 mg/dl in high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, respectively. Black smokers showed larger increases in serum triglycerides and VLDL-C levels than did black nonsmokers. These findings indicate that the start of even modest cigarette smoking may have potentially long-term atherogenic effects. Prevention of smoking in early life should therefore be an important aspect of cardiovascular disease intervention.     

Associations of body mass index and percentage body fat by bioelectrical impedance analysis with cardiovascular risk factors in Japanese male office workers

To determine whether body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) or percentage body fat (%BF) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) better reflects the cardiovascular risk profile, we examined the associations among BMI, %BF by BIA, and cardiovascular risk factors (systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (SBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, and triglycerides (TG)) in 1,217 Japanese male office workers aged 25 to 59 years. From stepwise regression analyses of cardiovascular risk factors on age, BMI, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking, significant correlates were, in the order of relative importance: age, BMI, and alcohol intake for SBP and DBP (the cumulative percentage of variation; 14.9% and 21.3%, respectively); age, BMI, and alcohol intake (negative) for LDL-C (11.0%); BMI (negative), alcohol, and cigarette smoking (negative) for HDL-C (19.9%); BMI, alcohol intake (negative), age, and cigarette smoking for LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (23.1%); and BMI, age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake for Log TG (21.7%). From stepwise regression analyses using %BF by BIA as an independent factor, %BF by BIA was also significantly associated with each cardiovascular risk factor, but the decrease in explained variance for each cardiovascular risk factor was 0.2-4.5%, compared with the model using BMI as an independent factor. These results suggest that BMI may better reflect blood pressure or serum lipid profile than %BF by BIA.     

Green tea consumption and serum lipids and lipoproteins in a population of healthy workers in Japan

PURPOSE: To examine the relation between green tea consumption and serum lipids and lipoproteins. METHODS: The subjects were 13,916 workers (8476 men and 5440 women) aged 40-69 years at over 1000 workplaces in Nagano prefecture, central Japan. They underwent health screening offered by a single medical institute between April 1995 and March 1996 and did not have morbid conditions affecting serum cholesterol levels. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides were measured at the screening. The consumption of green tea and other life-style characteristics were ascertained by a questionnaire. The data were analyzed with multivariate linear model. RESULTS: Daily consumption of green tea was reported by 86.7% of subjects. Green tea consumption was, statistically, significantly associated with lower levels of serum total cholesterol in both men and women while its associations with serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol were not statistically significant. The inverse association of serum total cholesterol with green tea consumption appeared to level off at the consumption of more than 10 cups/day. Excluding the outlying subjects drinking more than 10 cups/day (0.4%), the regression analysis adjusting for age, body mass index, ethanol intake, smoking habit, coffee intake, and type of work showed that daily consumption of one cup of green tea was associated with a reduction in serum total cholesterol by 0.015 mmol/L (95% confidence interval 0.006 to 0.024, p < 0.001) in men and 0.015 mmol/L (0.004 to 0.025, p < 0.01) in women. After additional adjustment for selected dietary factors, the inverse association remained statistically significant; one cup of green tea per day was associated with a reduction in serum total cholesterol by 0.010 mmol/L (0.001 to 0.019, p = 0.03) in men and 0.012 mmol/L (0.001 to 0.022, p = 0.03) in women. CONCLUSION: Consumption of green tea was associated with lower serum concentration of total cholesterol in Japanese healthy workers age 40-69 years; however, green tea consumption was unrelated to serum HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides.     

Relationship of coffee consumption with serum lipids and lipoproteins in Japanese men

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship of instant coffee and brewed coffee with serum lipids and lipoproteins in Japanese men. METHODS: Study subjects were 4587 male self-defense officials aged 48-56 years who had a preretirement health examination at one of the three hospitals of the Self-Defense Forces from October 1986 to December 1992. A self-administered questionnaire ascertained lifestyle characteristics including consumption of a limited number of foods and beverages by all of the men. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were measured, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were calculated from the values of TC, TG, and HDL cholesterol. RESULTS: While the consumption of brewed coffee was unrelated to any parameter of serum lipids and lipoproteins, instant coffee consumption showed a highly significant positive association with serum LDL cholesterol levels and an inverse association with serum TG levels. After adjustment for body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, green tea consumption, rank, and hospital, for each cup of instant coffee per day, LDL cholesterol levels were 0.82 mg/dl (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-1.35) higher, and TG levels in a natural log-scale were 0.014 mg/dl (95% CI 0.006-0.022) lower. There was also a tendency for a positive association between instant coffee intake and serum TC levels (trend p = 0.09). HDL cholesterol levels were unrelated to instant coffee consumption. These associations did not change after additional adjustment for selected foods and beverages associated with serum lipids and lipoproteins. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that instant coffee, not brewed coffee, may be associated with raised levels of serum LDL cholesterol and decreased levels of serum TG.     

Relation of serum lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins to obesity in children: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

BACKGROUND. The relationship of serum lipoprotein lipids and apolipoproteins to obesity was studied in a biracial sample of 2,816 children of ages 5-17 in Bogalusa, Louisiana. METHODS. Two measures of obesity were used: fatness (subscapular skinfold thickness) and fat centrality (the ratio of subscapular to triceps skinfold thickness). Plasma insulin and glucose were included as metabolic markers related to obesity. RESULTS. The obesity associations were relatively strong with insulin (rs = 0.29, P less than 0.001, skinfold; rs = 0.15, P less than 0.001, skinfold ratio) and triglycerides (rs = 0.25, P less than 0.001, skinfold; rs = 0.19, P less than 0.001, skinfold ratio). The relationships of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (rs = 0.17, P less than 0.001, skinfold; rs = 0.13, P less than 0.001, skinfold ratio) and apolipoprotein (apo) B (rs = 0.16, P less than 0.001, skinfold; rs = 0.13, P less than 0.001, skinfold ratio) with the obesity measures were of lesser magnitude, but persisted after adjustment for insulin and triglycerides. The inverse association of obesity to serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (rs = -0.13, P less than 0.001, both skinfold and skinfold ratio) and apo A-I (rs = -0.04, P = 0.03, skinfold; rs = -0.05, P = 0.004, skinfold ratio) was significant only before adjustment for insulin and serum triglycerides. Multiple linear regression of obesity measures showed that, like insulin, serum triglycerides had consistently higher standardized coefficients than LDL-C, HDL-C, apo B, and apo A-I. Apo A-I and apo B added only a small amount (less than 2%) of information to the relationship of serum lipoproteins with obesity measures. CONCLUSION. These results indicate that serum very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels are directly and independently related to obesity. The well-known inverse association between obesity and serum HDL-C is not independent, but secondary to the elevated VLDL or triglyceride levels associated with obesity. While associations of obesity and lipoprotein cholesterol are found, far fewer occur with apolipoproteins, especially Apo A-I. Interesting race and sex differences in the relationship of obesity to serum lipoproteins and apoproteins are noted, being greater among white children and more consistent in white males.