Distribution of serum apolipoproteins A-I and B and lipoprotein(a) in European elderly - The SENECA study

The purpose of this study is to describe sex and geographic differences in apolipoproteins (apo) A-I and B and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations i n elderly Europeans. Subjects were 2164 elderly participants of the SENECA study from different regions of Europe. Sera for apo A-I, apo B, and Lp(a) measurement were available for 1703 individuals. In men, mean values ranged from 1.38 to 1.79 g/l for apo A-I, 1.03-1.36 g/l for apo B, and 0.26-0.67 g/l for Lp(a). In women, mean values ranged from 1.54 to 1.98, 1.20-1.51, a nd 0.26-0.68 g/l for apo A-I, apo B, and Lp(a), respectively. A comparison of northern (Norway, Denmark, Netherlands), middle (France, Switzerland), a nd southern (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece) communities showed a less athe rogenic profile in the south, including lower LDL cholesterol, apo B, TC/HD L cholesterol ratio, and apoB/apo A-I ratio. Men, but not women, also had s ignificantly higher HDL cholesterol and apo A-I concentrations in the South . Paradoxically, Lp(a) concentrations were generally high among all elderly and were significantly higher in the southern communities. These data show that the elderly in Europe are very heterogeneous with respect to plasma l ipoproteins, including apo A-II apo B, and Lp(a). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.