The value of serum albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in defining mortality risk in older persons with low serum cholesterol

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between low cholesterol and mor tality in older persons to identify, using information collected at a singl e point in time, subgroups of persons with low and high mortality risk. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with a median followup period of 4.9 years . SETTINGS: East Boston, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; and Iowa and Washington counties, Iowa. PARTICIPANTS: Four thousand one hundred twenty-eight participants (64% wome n) age 70 and older at baseline (mean 78.7 years, range 70-103); 393(9.5%) had low cholesterol, defined as less than or equal to 160 mg/dl. MEASUREMENTS: All-cause mortality and mortality not related to coronary hea rt disease and ischemic stroke. RESULTS: During the follow-up period there were 1,117 deaths. After adjustm ent for age and gender, persons with low cholesterol had significantly high er mortality than those with normal and high cholesterol. Among subjects wi th low cholesterol, those with albumin > 38 g/L had a Significant risk redu ction compared with those with albumin less than or equal to 38 g/L (relati ve risk (RR) = 0.57; 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.41-0.79). Within the higher albumin group, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level f urther identified two subgroups of subjects with different risks; participa nts with HDL-C < 47 mg/dl had a 32% risk reduction (RR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.4 7-0.99) and those with HDL-C greater than or equal to 47 mg/dl had a 62% ri sk reduction (RR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.20-0.68), compared with the reference c ategory; those with albumin less than or equal to 38 g/L and HDL-C < 47 mg/ dl. CONCLUSIONS: Older persons with low cholesterol constitute a heterogeneous group with regard to health characteristics and mortality risk. Serum album in and HDL-C can be routinely used in older patients with low cholesterol t o distinguish three subgroups with different prognoses: (1) high risk (low albumin), (2) intermediate risk (high albumin and low HDL-Q, and (3) low ri sk (high albumin and high HDL-Q.