Gender differences in blood lipids in a Greek island population the EPIC Study

Female and male volunteers of the Aegean island of Lesvos participated in a n epidemiological, cross-sectional study to examine total serum cholesterol (TC) and high density (HDL-C) levels, to study gender differences and expl ore changes in blood lipids with menopause. Five hundred sixty three female s and three hundred thirty two males, ages 30 to 78, were recruited as part of the Creek component of the European Perspective study on Nutrition, Can cer and Health (EPIC Study). Assessments included dietary and anthropometri c measurements, demographic information and blood lipid assays. Mean, TC, H DL-C and TC/HDL-C ratio for women were 216 mg/dl, 51.5 mg/dl and 4.3 respec tively and for men TC, HDL-C and TC/HDL-C ratio were 217 mg/dl, 41.4 mg/dl and 5.5 respectively. With menopause, TC levels and the TC/HDL-C ratio sign ificantly increased while HDL-C tended to decrease after controlling for ag e, BMI, smoking, dietary lipid and alcohol consumption. According to the TC /HDL ratio in the younger ages (30-39), approximately 85% of women were pla ced in the low to moderate risk category but with advancing age (above 60) that percentage decreased to 64%. In men, approximately 50% were placed at high risk for TC/HDL-C ratio at a young age (30-39). This percentage increa sed with advancing age, but decreased to 47% in men above 60 years of age. Gender differences and menopausal blood lipid alterations generally observe d in Western populations with high incidence:of CVD are also observed in ou r Creek island population. Our study points to the adverse blood lipid prof iles especially in men as one of the factors contributing to the increasing CVD mortality in Greece. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.