THE LIPID AND LIPOPROTEIN PROFILE OF THE URBAN BLACK SOUTH-AFRICAN POPULATION OF THE CAPE PENINSULA - THE BRISK STUDY

Objective. To determine the lipid and lipoprotein profile of the urban black South African population of the Cape Peninsula. Design. Gross-s ectional design. Setting. The seven black residential areas of the Cap e Peninsula, Participants. A stratified proportional sample was drawn from the study area. The sample consisted of 422 men and 544 women age d between 15 and 64 years. Outcome measures. Lipid and lipoprotein lev els, Risk levels for coronary heart disease (GHD). Results. The total cholesterol (TC level) was low compared with other South African group s studied. Men had a mean TC of 3.98 mmol/l and women 4.15 mmol/l. Low -density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) values for men (2.03 mmol/l) w ere lower than those for women (2.30 mmol/l). Men (1.35 mmol/l) and wo men (1.37 mmol/l) had similar high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HD LC) levels. Both sexes had a prevalence of protective HDL/TC ratios ab ove 30% for all age groups. High HDL(3)C levels and low HDL(2)C levels were found in both men and women. Apolipoprotein A and B followed the trends of HDLC and LDLC and showed no difference between the sexes. T he plasma triglyceride (TG) levels increased with age in both sexes. M en displayed higher TG levels than women in ail age groups. Seventeen per cent of men and 26% of women had a moderate-to-high risk for GHD, given their TC levels. Other lipid-related risk factors indicated low risk for CHD. Conclusions. This population had low TC, LDLC and favour able HDLC/TC ratios. There were, however, individuals with high lipid levels, especially women in the older age groups, A much higher percen tage of cholesterol was carried in the HDL(3)C subfraction than was fo und in other studies, This difference in distribution of cholesterol a mong HDL(2)C and HDL(3)C, compared with other studies, should be inves tigated further.