FACTORS INFLUENCING TRACKING OF CHOLESTEROL AND HIGH-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN - THE AMSTERDAM GROWTH AND HEALTH STUDY

Background. Tracking analysis of serum cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and the TC/HDL-C ratio was carried out by a new method based on generalized estimating equations (GEE). Meth ods. Longitudinal data were derived from the Amsterdam Growth and Heal th Study, in which 181 subjects were measured six times from the age o f 13 years to the age of 27 years. Results. Tracking coefficients (int erpretable as coefficients of stability over time) calculated over a 1 5-year period with GEE for TC were 0.71 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-0.74]; for HDL-C, males, 0.51 (95% CI 0.34-0.69); for HDL-C, fema les, 0.65 (95% CI 0.53-0.77); and for the TC/HDL-C ratio 0.71 (95% CI 0.63-0.79). The changes in TC were positively influenced by both body fatness (standardized regression coefficient beta = 0.13; 95% CI 0.04- 0.21) and daily physical activity (beta = 0.08; 95% CI 0.00-0.16), and the changes in the TC/HDL-C ratio were positively influenced by body fatness (beta = 0.11; 95% 0.03-0.19). Conclusions. GEE tracking coeffi cients for TC and for the TC/HDL-C ratio were higher than the coeffici ents for HDL-C. Furthermore, multivariate analyses showed a positive i nfluence of body fatness and daily physical activity measured at 13 ye ars of age on the changes in TC over time. No relations were found bet ween any of the biological, psychological, or lifestyle parameters and the changes in HDL-C, while the changes in the TC/HDL-C ratio were po sitively related to body fatness measured at 13 years of age. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.