title: Hypolipidemia in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a possible gender difference?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared the levels of serum lipid, protein, and glucose between patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of lipids [including triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)], protein, and glucose of 95 patients with ALS (60 men) were compared with those of 99 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (64 men). Both groups had normal dietary intakes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol (p=0.004), LDL (p=0.040), triglyceride (p=0.025), and protein (p=0.010) levels, and LDL/HDL ratios (p<0.001) in men with ALS were significantly lower than those in their control counterparts. There were no such significant differences in these parameters between female patients with ALS and female controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum levels of lipid and protein were significantly lower in male patients with ALS than in the male controls. Since we controlled for the confounding effects of dietary intake, hypolipidemia in ALS might be associated with the pathophysiology of the disease rather than being the result of the decreased dietary intake in ALS patients. Metabolic demand might increase in ALS, and it may be affected by gender.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sung-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee-Juang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jee-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung-Joon
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sung
keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; dyslipidemia; gender differences