EFFECT OF RESPONSE TO A LOW-FAT DIET AMONG ADOLESCENT MALES ON THEIR ADULT-BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Background. While primary prevention of adult cardiovascular diseases should bean early, there are problems in identifying children at incre ased risk of future disease. Methods. We did a follow-up study in 1991 -1992 of 100 male former students at a boarding high school who had bl ood cholesterol measured in 1970-1971 both prior to and following a sc hool-wide, reduced-fat dietary intervention, We compared adult cholest erol levels of the 50 subjects whose cholesterol decreased greater tha n or equal to 16.5% (the median decrease) following the 1970-1971 inte rvention (Diet-Sensitive) with the 50 whose response was <16.5% (Non-D iet-Sensitive). Results. Blood cholesterol of adults who were Diet-Sen sitive in 1970-1971 was 4.2 mg/dl lower than their baseline values in adolescence, while adults classified as Non-Diet-Sensitive as adolesce nts showed a 15.9 mg/dl increase in cholesterol over 21 years. Adjusti ng for baseline adolescent values, Non-Diet-Sensitive subjects were 4. 8 (95% CI 1.4, 15.9) times as likely as Diet-Sensitive subjects to hav e adult cholesterol greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl. Also, Diet-Sen sitive adults on a low-fat diet had adult blood cholesterol levels >20 mg/dl lower than Non-Diet-Sensitive adults on a similar diet (180.1 v s 202.1 mg/dl, respectively). Conclusions. Degree of response to a low -fat, low-cholesterol diet during adolescence may identify male subjec ts who will have differing patterns of cholesterol change over time. ( C) 1997 Academic Press.