RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIETARY-INTAKE, LIPOPROTEINS, AND APOLIPOPROTEINS IN TAIPEI AND FRAMINGHAM

To determine whether the lower rates of heart disease in Taiwan than i n the United States could be related to associations between plasma li poproteins and dietary intake, we assessed these indexes in 423 adults in Taipei matched with 420 adults in Framingham, MA. Concentrations o f LDL cholesterol were 14% lower, HDL cholesterol 9% higher, and LDL c holesterol: HDL cholesterol 27% lower in Taipei than in Framingham. Di etary intakes of total fat (34%), saturated fatty acids, and cholester ol (338 mg) were, respectively, 16%, 41%, and 19% lower in Taipei men, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acid intake was 89% higher than in Fram ingham men. Similar differences were seen for women except for total f at and cholesterol intakes, which were similar. From stepwise analyses of all subjects, we observed significant associations of lower LDL ch olesterol: HDL cholesterol with higher polyunsaturated fatty acid inta kes and lower body mass indexes in both men and women. Our data indica te that the more favorable lipoprotein profiles observed in Taipei sub jects may be partly due to differences in type of dietary fat consumpt ion as well as in body mass index.