SERUM-LIPIDS AND APOLIPOPROTEINS FROM 1 TO 15 YEARS - CHANGES WITH AGE AND PUBERTY, AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIET, PARENTAL CHOLESTEROL AND FAMILY HISTORY OF ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE

We describe the pattern of change for serum lipids and apolipoproteins from 1 to 15 years of age in a cohort of 128 children, supplemented w ith 215 children from 11 years of age and 243 at 13 years of age. Tota l cholesterol (TC) decreased after infancy, increased in early puberty and then decreased to 15 years of age. Reciprocal changes in high (HD LC) and low (LDLC) density lipoprotein cholesterol occurred during eac h interval, with HDLC increasing from 13 to 15 years in both sexes. Th e correlation for TC between children of both sexes and mothers and fa thers varied from 0.1 to 0.28 at 2-13 years. At 15 years of age the co rrelation between mothers:daughters increased to 0.31, decreased to 0. 19 for fathers:daughters, but no asssociation was present between eith er parent and their sons. There were no differences in mean lipid valu es for the sample grouped according to the extent of family history of early ischaemic heart disease (before 60 years of age). There were fe w significant associations between serum lipids, energy and nutrients. At 15 years of age inverse associations were present between TC and e nergy, protein, sugar, starch and fibre intakes, and a positive associ ation with total fat intake.