title: Plasma lipids and lipoprotein(a) levels in the Chinese from China and Singapore.
abstract: This study compared the influence of environmental factors on plasma lipid levels between the descendants of immigrant southern Han Chinese (Singapore Chinese, n = 275) and the native Chinese from southern China (n = 277). Their lipid profiles including lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] were measured and compared. The alpha level was set at 0.05 throughout the analysis. Body mass index (BMI), plasma total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and triglycerides (TG) levels were significantly elevated in the Singapore Chinese. Plasma Lp(a) however, was comparable in both groups for concentrations as well as frequency distributions. Since both groups were genetically identical, the similar Lp(a) level was in agreement with studies which reported that the apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] gene explained as much as 70% of the plasma Lp(a) variations in Chinese. No correlation of plasma Lp(a) level was observed with age and BMI while significant positive linear correlations were observed with TC and LDLC in the male subjects only. We concluded that environmental factors (possibly affluent lifestyle and westernised diet) have significantly influenced the lipid risk factor levels of the Singapore Chinese whereas Lp(a) levels, which are predominantly under genetic control, were not altered significantly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Low
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D017270:Lipoprotein(a)