title: Present status of serum lipid levels in Beijing professional populations and its trend of changes over 15 years--a collaborative study of seven research and clinical laboratories in Beijing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  China's economy has been growing rapidly since 1980, which may have affected blood lipid levels. We carried out a study on serum lipid levels and prevalence of lipid abnormalities in Beijing professional populations in 2001-2002 and assessed the changing trends of lipid levels by comparing the results with that of a similar study in 1984-1986.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 31,068 government employees, medical and educational workers and scientific research personnel (male/female 6:4). All participants had physical examination and blood chemistry tests. Lipid parameters analyzed included total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein (LDL and HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increased significantly as compared with the 1984-1986 study, but the variations of lipid levels with age and sex remained unchanged. Age-adjusted prevalence of dyslipidemia and its distribution in different sexes and age groups were statistically analyzed. Comparing the results with the data of the US in the 1990s, total cholesterol concentration was lower by 16 mg/dl in men and 18 mg/dl in women, whereas LDL cholesterol concentration was lower by 20 mg/dl in men and 15 mg/dl in women. HDL cholesterol was significantly higher than the US in both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean levels of total cholesterol (LDL cholesterol ) increased rapidly in the 1980s, stabilized and descended slightly in 1990s. Coronary lipid risk level in Beijing professional populations is significantly lower than in the US.
authors.affiliation: Lipid Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Zhai
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yi-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: De-Lu
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shu-Kui
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood; D007753:Laboratories / Q000639:trends; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012108:Research Personnel; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol