The lipid profile of Spanish population: The DRECE study (Diet and risk ofcardiovascular disease in Spain)

BACKGROUND: In Spain the mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) is relatively low compared to that of other developed countries. Until now few epidemiological studies have been performed among the global Spanish p opulation to evaluate a relation between CVD risk factors and the lipid pro file that could justify our privileged situation. For, this reason, the DRE CE study was designed to know the situation at present in Spain respect to the risk of suffering from CVD in particular, the lipid profile. POPULATION AND METHODS: This study included 4,787 subjects (2,324 males and 2,463 females) with an age ranging from 5-60 years, representative of the total Spanish population with these characteristics during the period from 1992 to 1994. Medical history was made for all participants, who also under went a physical examination. The following parameters were determined: tota l cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol HD Lc, cholesterol transported by low-density lipoproteins, LDLc (estimated by the Friedewald's formula), apolipoprotein Br and apolipoprotein B (immunot urbidimetry). RESULTS: The results obtained and expressed in mean So) show that, although the population has total cholesterol concentrations (190.1 [42.4] and 192. 8 [44.8] mg/dl for females and males, respectively) and LDLc (113.9 [37.9] and 117.5 [38.1] mg/dl for females and males, respectively with values as h igh as those found in developed countries, the HDLc concentrations (58.6 [1 3.2] and 51.5 [13.4] mg/dl for women and men, respectively) are also increa sed and this could be the reason why the mortality late in Spain caused by CVD is lower than in other countries. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of high HDLc levels and their antiatherogenic role could justify that, at bast in part, the rate mortality in Spain is lower than in other developed countries.