SERUM-LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS AMONG HEALTHY-SUBJECTS OVER 70 YEARS OFAGE

Background: With most of the epidemiologic studies dealing with choles terol and coronary heart disease being usually limited to subjects und er 65 years of age, the knowledge of lipids and coronary heart disease in the elderly is quite limited. Therefore, we conducted a study in o rder to characterize the lipid profile of healthy individuals over 70 years of age whose medical history was unremarkable and whose echocard iogram, cardiac output, and imaging results were within normal limits. Methods: A study was conducted on the lipid profiles of 42 nonsmoking subjects with a mean age of 74.8 +/- 3.1 years who had no history of coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or any metabolic disorder, and whose exercise stress test, echocardiogram, multigated a cquisition from radiolabeled technetium at rest and on effort, and eje ction fraction were within normal limits. The total cholesterol, high- density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) c holesterol, and triglyceride levels were compared with four control gr oups: 1) 40 patients aged 53 +/- 11 years who had had a coronary event , 2) 40 subjects aged 65 +/- 6 years who had periodic check-ups and no history of ischemic heart disease, 3) 26 subjects aged 76 +/- 5 years who had had a coronary event after 70 years of age, and 4) 40 young s ubjects aged 51 +/- 4.5 years without coronary disease. Results: High- density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly (P<0.0001) higher (5 3.7 +/- 3.1 mg/dL) and the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio was significantly lower in the elderly healthy subjects as compared wi th the control groups. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol was also higher than that of the control groups, but these results were not of statistical significance. Conclusions: We believe that the elevated HD L cholesterol in this healthy elderly group may be the strongest lipid factor favoring this group to reach an advanced age without coronary heart disease.