LIPOPROTEIN PROFILE AND HIGH-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEINS - SUBFRACTIONS DISTRIBUTION IN CENTENARIANS

In order to assess the role of HDL on longevity, we studied HDL subfra ction distribution in centenarian women compared with a group of weigh t-and gender-matched healthy normolipidemic controls. We did not find any significant difference in the mean plasma lipid, apolipoprotein, a nd Lp(a) levels. On the contrary, in spite of similar HDL-cholesterol concentrations (1.32 +/- 0.41 mmol/l in centenarians vs. 1.32 +/- 0.25 mmol/l in controls, p = not significant), HDL2b and HDL3a levels were , respectively, significantly increased and significantly reduced in c entenarians in comparison with controls (HDL2b 32.4 +/- 9.2% in centen arians vs. 23.4 +/- 7.7% in controls, p < 0.002, and HDL3a 26.3 +/- 9. 8% in centenarians vs. 34.1 +/- 7.3% in controls, p < 0.01). Moreover, HDL2b levels were significantly raised and HDL3a levels were signific antly reduced in centenarians in comparison with both 'middle-aged' an d 'elderly' subjects, whereas no difference for any HDL subfraction wa s found between the two groups of controls of different ages. Age was significantly correlated with HDL2b and HDL3a (respectively, +0.452, p < 0.001, and -0.370, p < 0.01) in all subjects, but not with all the other lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein parameters, but we observe d a large overlapping of individual values of HDL2b between centenaria ns and controls. Since HDL2b levels were found to be inversely correla ted with coronary heart disease risk, we could speculate that, in some cases, this may probably favor a healthy ageing, but long-term longit udinal studies are necessary to define the relative importance of HDL subfractions distribution as a marker of longevity. Probably other fac tors or clinical characteristics play a major role in the ageing proce ss.