title: Lipid patterns and dietary habits of healthy subjects living in urban, suburban and rural areas.
abstract: Lipid patterns were determined in 167 healthy subjects in the age group 28 to 50 years living in an urban area, a suburban area and two rural areas to determine a possible relationship between their serum lipid patterns and food habits. Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations were determined in the sera of fasting subjects, and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol concentration was calculated. Risk of coronary heart disease as assessed by the body mass index, ratios of total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol, was significantly lower in subjects in rural area 2, who were agricultural workers with a high degree of physical activity, subsisting on a diet consisting mainly of plant food, despite a higher consumption of coconut, a saturated fat. It is possible that the hypercholesterolaemic effect of saturated fats was mitigated by the high fibre content of their diets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Atukorala
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Jayawardene
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D013188:Sri Lanka; D013383:Suburban Population; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids