METABOLIC AND BEHAVIORAL COVARIATES OF HIGH-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Objective: To determine predictors of high-density lipoprotein cholest erol (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in postmenopausal wome n. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Clinical research facility. Participants: One hundred twenty-seven healthy, relatively sedentary, postmenopausal women not on estrogen replacement, mean age 57 years. Measurements: Alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, aerobic fitness (VO2m ax), body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, waist-hip ratio, lipids and lipoproteins, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and insulin (FPI) conc entrations. Results: In univariate analyses, HDL was significantly (P < 0.05) inversely related to BMI, waist-hip ratio, smoking, FPG, and F PI, and directly related to VO2max and alcohol intake. Triglycerides w ere related directly to BMI, waist-hip ratio, percent body fat, FPG, a nd FPI, and inversely to VO2max. In stepwise multiple regressions, BMI , waist-hip ratio, alcohol, smoking, and FPG were significantly associ ated with HDL (R2 for the model = 0.43). Addition of TG to these model s reduced relations of BMI and waist-hip ratio, but not the other vari ables, to insignificance. For triglycerides, waist-hip ratio, alcohol, smoking, FPG, and FPI were significant predictors (R2 = 0.33). VO2max and percent body fat did not contribute to any model. Conclusions: Ob esity, abdominal obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, and measure's of ca rbohydrate metabolism predict HDL and triglyceride concentrations in p ostmenopausal women.