Serum lipids and lipoproteins in advanced age intraindividual changes

The Bronx Aging Study is a longitudinal investigation of nondemented, nonterminally ill, community-residing, old old volunteer subjects, designed to assess risk factors for the development of dementia and coronary and cerebrovascular diseases. During the first five annual evaluations, total cholesterol, high-density (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride leves were measured. Mean cholesterol values (± standard error of the mean) for subjects at baseline were significantly higher for women than for men. Respectively, the values for total cholesterol were 6.1 ± .1 mm/L (234 ± 3 mg/dL) and 5.3 ± .1 mm/L (207 ± 3 mg/dL); for LDL cholesterol, 4.1 ± .1 mm/L (158 ± 2 mg/dL) and 3.7 ± .1 mm/L (141 ± 3 mg/dl) ; and for HDL cholesterol, 1.2 ± .1 mm/L (47 ± 1 mg/dL) and 1.0 ± .1 mm/L (38 ± 1 mg/dL). Mean triglyceride levels were 1.5 ± .1 mm/L (135 ± 5 mg/dL) for women and 1.6 ± .1 mm/L (138 ± 5 mg/dL) for men. Further, mean values remained stable over time. However, there was considerable intraindividual change observed in a substantial proportion of subjects between initial and final determinations. Changes of at least 10% from baseline were observed in 41%, 63%, 52%, and 78% of the cohort for cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, respectively. Thus, single measurements appear inadequate for establishing a diagnosis of hyperlipidemia in the elderly.