title: Longitudinal trajectories of cholesterol from midlife through late life according to apolipoprotein E allele status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research indicates that total cholesterol levels increase with age during young adulthood and middle age and decline with age later in life. This is attributed to changes in diet, body composition, medication use, physical activity, and hormone levels. In the current study we utilized data from the Framingham Heart Study Original Cohort to determine if variations in apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene involved in regulating cholesterol homeostasis, influence trajectories of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and total: HDL cholesterol ratio from midlife through late life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cholesterol trajectories from midlife through late life were modeled using generalized additive mixed models and mixed-effects regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APOE e2+ subjects had lower total cholesterol levels, higher HDL cholesterol levels, and lower total: HDL cholesterol ratios from midlife to late life compared to APOE e3 and APOE e4+ subjects. Statistically significant differences in life span cholesterol trajectories according to gender and use of cholesterol-lowering medications were also detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this research provide evidence that variations in APOE modify trajectories of serum cholesterol from midlife to late life. In order to efficiently modify cholesterol through the life span, it is important to take into account APOE allele status.
authors.affiliation: Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555, USA. brdowner@utmb.edu.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Downer
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 138 Leader Avenue, Lexington, KY 40506, USA. steve.estus@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estus
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Suite 205, 725 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. katsumata.yuriko@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.affiliation: Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, 101 Sanders-Brown Building, 800 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. david.fardo@uky.edu.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Fardo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002784:Cholesterol