Relationships of Measurements of Body Mass to Plasma Lipoproteins in Schoolchildren and Adults

This report focuses upon relationships of body mass indices to plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 1682 children (ages 4--20 years) and 876 of their parents (ages 21--66 years) sampled during the Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic's Princeton School District population study, 1973--1975. After an initial sampling of the schoolchildren, two subsets were then recalled, a 15% random sample independent of lipid levels (the random recall group), and a second group, approximately 10% dependent upon lipid levels (the hyperlipidemic recall group). There were no consistent patterns of difference for Quetelet indices and triceps skinfold measurements between black and white children. Hyperlipidemic recall children had higher mean Quetelet indices than random recall children. In children and adults, from both random and hyperlipidemic recall groups, Quetelet index was inversely related to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-HDL) and positively related to low density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-LDL), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-VLDL), and triglyceride. The relationship (partial correlation) between Quetelet index and plasma lipoproteins was highly significant after adjusting for age, race, sex, skinfold thickness, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and oral contraceptive intake. In the random and hyperlipidemic recall groups of children, the amounts of variation of C-HDL accounted for by the explanatory variables (as above) were 8% and 18%, respectively, for C-LDL 4% and 7.4%, for C-VLDL 7.2% and 14.4%, and for triglyceride 10.7% and 16.3%. In the random and hyperlipidemic groups of children, the additional amounts of variation of C-HDL accounted for by the addition of Quetelet index to the explanatory variables were 3% and 4.7%, respectively, for C-LDL 3.1% and 1.8%, for C-VLDL 4.2% and 2.4%, and for triglyceride 5.5% and 3.3%. Measures of relative body mass are inversely associated with C-HDL. Although factors which control ponderosity and C-HDL may be independent, and weight loss or gain may not significantly alter C-HDL levels, it is speculated that attempts to maintain ideal body weight or reduce toward ideal body weight may maximize the levels of the anti-atherogenic C-HDL.