Distribution of non-HDL-cholesterol among Tehranian children and adolescents: Tehran lipid and glucose study

ABSTRACT

Serum Low-Density-Lipoprotein Cholesterol has long been used as an important assessment tool to predict the risk of coronary artery diseases, but due to certain limitations in the use of this index, it has been shown recently that Apo lipoprotein B is a better screening tool. Non-HDL cholesterol [total cholesterol minus HDL-C] includes all the lipoprotein particles, which contain Apo lipoprotein B, and could be a good screening tool for Apo lipoprotein B during CAD assessment and treatment. This study aims at assessing the distribution and correlation of non-HDL-C and related factors in a population of Tehranian children and adolescents. The study sample consisted of 4298, 3-19 year-olds, [2019 boys[47%] and 2279 girls[53%]] who had participated in the first phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study [TLGS], from 1998-2000. Anthropometric and clinical data were collected for analysis. Non-HDL-C levels were higher in girls than in boys of the same age groups, especially among the younger [3-4 year-olds] age groups. Body mass index and waist circumference were positively associated with non-HDL-C. Both non-HDL-C and LDL-C were strongly associated with each other and total cholesterol [r[2] = 0.81and p < 0.001]. Non-HDL-C and LDL-C are were associated with triglycerides, but the strength of this correlation with triglycerides was relatively weaker as compared to that with total cholesterol. Non-HDL-C showed a significant inverse relationship to HDL-C [r[2] = 0.01, p < 0.01]. It was also seen that non-HDL-C had a stronger correlation to BMI and body fatness indicies. Population based data on non-HDL-C are now available for children and adolescents, which may help improve the CAD risk assessment and related interventions: