Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine whether nonfasting concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein(a) were different in elderly subjects with coronary heart disease (CHD) versus those without CHD. Food frequency data were collected to see whether differences in diet influence the level of lipoproteins in the plasma. These data indicate that men with CHD had significantly lower levels of apo A-I and HDL cholesterol than did men without CHD. Women with CHD had elevated levels of triglyceride, apo B, non-HDL cholesterol, TC, TC/HDL, apo B/apo A-I, body mass index, and blood pressure. Our data indicate that differences in diet between cases' and controls' do not appear to substantially account for the associations between plasma lipoproteins and CHD. The difference in patterns of associations between plasma lipids and diet between men and women in this sample suggest a more aggressive response to CHD diagnosis among men, which may lead to improved dietary profiles and the lowering of plasma risk factors among men with CHD. The presence of the expected association between plasma lipids and CHD status, but less difference in dietary intake by CHD status, suggests a less aggressive response to CHD among women.