Regulation of plasma low density lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women

To study the regulation of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in postmenopausal women (n = 79), fasting plasma lipids and lipoproteins, the fractional catabolic rate (FCR) and production rate for LDL apolipoprot ein B (apo B), cholesterol absorption, apolipoprotein E phenotype and polym orphisms of the apo B and 7 alpha-hydroxylase genes were determined. The le vel of LDL cholesterol was related to FCR (r = - 0.757. P < 0.001) and the production (r = 0.531, P < 0.001) of LDL apo B and body mass index (r = 0.2 65, P < 0.05). In contrast, cholesterol absorption efficiency, apolipoprote in E phenotype, EcoRI and XbaI polymorphisms of the apo B gene and the poly morphism of 7 alpha-hydroxylase gene were found to have no significance for the regulation of LDL cholesterol concentration in these postmenopausal wo men. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.