Serum lipid levels and the prevalence of hyperlipidaemia in Malaysia

Nutritional assessment of rural villages and estates in peninsular Malaysia: Total blood cholesterol values in children, adolescents and adults

The present study is unique in the Malaysian context on two counts; first, it employs for the first time a functional group approach (groups based on occupational or economic activity) in the assessment of community nutritional status. Second, the study provides on a nationwide-sampling basis, information on total blood cholesterol (TC) levels in rural children (7.0-12.9 years; n = 1921) and adolescents (13.0-17.9 years; n = 753) which were hitherto unavailable. Total blood cholesterol measurements were performed on 7184 subjects ranging from 7 to 75-years-old (males = 3151; females = 4033) from households in 69 rural villages and seven estates in peninsular Malaysia, which were based on selected multistage random sampling according to the household's involvement in the following economic activities: rice farming, rubber smallholding, coconut smallholding, fishing and employment in estates. In all functional groups, TC values increased with age and there was a distinct gender effect, namely females had higher TC values than males throughout the age spectrum analyzed. Mean TC levels for children and adolescents were in the range 3.85-4.37 mmol/L, rising markedly during adulthood to an overall mean of 4.91 ± 1.13 mmol/L for men and 5.17 ± 1.11 mmol/L for women. In adults (>= 18.0 years), there was marked disparity in mean TC values among the functional groups; males and females from rice households had the lowest mean TC values (4.58 and 4.99 mmol/L, respectively). Individuals at 'high risk' (TC > 6.20 mmol/L) averaged 16.0% in women and 11.6% in men, with women from the fishing, rubber and coconut households particularly affected (17.1-21.1%). When compared to earlier rural TC data reported for closely similar rural communities in the peninsula, the present findings suggest a 'hypercholesterolemic shift' approximating 0.39 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) in the adult population; however, this was not apparent in the children and adolescents from these rural communities.

Serum lipid profiles in Malay mothers and neonates: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Preliminary epidemiological data suggest that dyslipidaemia contributes significantly to rising mortality due to atherosclerosis in Peninsular Malays. The aim of this study was to determine whether abnormal serum lipid profiles are present at birth in this population.

METHODOLOGY

The patients were 487 non-diabetic Malay women who had an uncomplicated antenatal course and delivered healthy singleton babies at term. Cord blood and maternal post-partum venous blood samples were taken for assay of serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations using standard enzymatic methods.

RESULTS

Maternal total serum cholesterol concentrations (mean +/- SD; 7.5 +/- 2.5 mmol/L) were higher than in other reported series (range of published means 5.2-6.5 mmol/L) with a correspondingly low high-density lipoprotein (HDL): total cholesterol ratio. The mean cord blood total serum cholesterol (1.7 +/- 1.0 mmol/L) was consistent with previously reported population means (1.5-1.9 mmol/L) but there was a relatively high low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and depressed HDL: cholesterol ratio. Significant correlations between maternal and neonatal serum total (P = 0.038) and especially HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001) were observed. Maternal and cord blood serum triglyceride levels were comparable to those in other series.

CONCLUSIONS

These cross-sectional data provide evidence that abnormal serum cholesterol profiles are found in pregnant Malay women and their neonates which may have implications for the prevalence of macrovascular disease in the Malay population.

Age-related changes in the concentration of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in two groups of rats with inherited widely different levels of spontaneous physical activity

The plasma concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides was determined in two groups of rats with inherited widely different levels of spontaneous physical activity. Active as well as passive rats of each sex were divided into two subgroups, one with free access to wheel running activity (exercising group), and another for which admittance to the drum was closed (nonexercising group). Plasma concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides were followed from the age of 3-8 months in females and 3 months to 1 year in males. A pronounced increase with age in the plasma concentration of these lipids was observed in the active male rats. In the passive male rats and in all females, there were no major changes in plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Corresponding groups of exercising and nonexercising rats had similar plasma levels of these components. The data for male rats show a positive association between the inherited tendency to perform spontaneously a high level of physical activity and an age-related increase in plasma lipids. However, running activity per se does not seem to have any influence on the level of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in these rats.

Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in Norwegian adolescent school children

The frequency distribution of serum cholesterol and triglycerides in 172 boys and 232 girls, 13--16 years, from four elementary schools in Oslo has been determined. The cholesterol values were significantly higher for girls 15--16 years than for boys of the same age group. In the case of triglycerides boys 15--16 years had significantly higher values than boys 13--14 years. Otherwise no statistically significant differences with regard to sex and age were observed. The 85th percentiles have been suggested as appropriate upper normal limits. In all groups the 85th percentile for plasma cholesterol was slightly below 6 mmol/l. The corresponding plasma triglyceride value was below 2 mmol/l.