Lipoprotein levels in children and adolescents from the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain

BACKGROUND: The aim of study was to know the lipoproteins distribution in children and adolescents from the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain, and to compare with other studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample included 3,635 children and adolescents (1,853 mates and 1,782 females), 4 to 18 years of age. We measured total cholesterol and triglyceride levels with enzymatic methods, the HDL-cholesterol concentration in the supernatant after precipitation of the rest of the lipoproteins, and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were calculated by Friedewald formula. RESULTS: Total cholesterol leves were 174 +/- 25 mg/dl (4.50 +/- 0.64 mmol/l), triglycerides 60 +/- 24 mg/dl (0.67 +/- 0.28 mmol/l), LDL-cholestrol 100 +/- 22 mg/dl (2.59 +/- 0.58 mmol/l), HDL-cholesterol 61 +/- 13 mg/dl (1.6 +/- 0.34 mmol/l), 19.23% of the children studied had cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dl (> 5.18 mmol/l), and 41.5% of them had levels higher than 180 mg/dl (> 4.66 mmol/l). CONCLUSIONS: The cholesterol levels as weil as the HDL-cholesterol levels in the student population of Madrid, Spain, were higher when compared to other studies. Less variation was found in the LDL-cholesterol concentrations.