WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF BLOOD-LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE - A REVIEW STUDY

Review and pooled analysis of the relevant worldwide literature was in vestigated from 1975 to 1996. Eighteen surveys out of 54 were suitable for analysis according to the selection criteria. This represents a t otal of 60494 observations from 26 countries all over the world. Data suggests differences as great as 76 mg/dl when comparing northern Euro pean countries to black African children. The overall curve of cholest erol with age observed in the pooled population indicates a pre-adoles cent peak and then a slightly inverse change is observed for both boys and girls, from 3 to 12 years old being almost coincident absolute va lues. Beyond age 12, values for boys continue to slightly decrease to age 16, while for girls values tend to increase through this age-range . The curve in the late teens (16-18 years) tends to reach pre-teen le vels for both sexes, although girls have consistently higher absolute values than boys. There is a great variation in the specific age-sex a nd race levels of cholesterol among different populations or even in t he same populations over a period of time. However, an apparently univ ersal pattern of an early rise, a fall, and a subsequent rise in mean values of total cholesterol by age from the preadolescence to late tee ns is observed. More data are needed on total cholesterol and lipid fr actions between late school age and mid-adulthood. (C) 1998 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.