Hypercholesterolemia predicts early death from coronary heart disease in elderly men but not women. The Rancho Bernardo Study.
In a 3-year follow-up study of 761 elderly men and 983 elderly women, total plasma cholesterol levels predicted fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) in men but not women. Low-density lipoprotein level was no better a predictor of fatal CHD than total cholesterol in either sex. Women had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein than men, which explains most of their usual higher total cholesterol levels. These data suggest that cholesterol screening of elderly women would have little value without a lipoprotein evaluation.
Barrett-Connor
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Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0607.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol