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The relationship between serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels and mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients remains inconsistent. We aimed to explore the individual and combined association of TC and TG levels with the risk of mortality in Chinese MHD patients. 1036 MHD patients were enrolled in this multicenter, prospective cohort study. The serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured at baseline. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and secondary outcome was cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. During a median follow-up duration of 4.4 years (IQR= 2.0–7.9 years), 549 (53.0%) patients died, and 297 (28.7%) deaths were attributed to CVD. Compared with patients with TC levels in the first three quartiles (<182.5 mg/dL), a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality was found in participants with TC in the fourth quartile (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–1.76). However, a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed in participants with TG in the fourth quartile (≥193.9 mg/dL) (HR, 0.78; 95%CI: 0.63–0.98), compared with participants with TG in the first three quartiles. Similar trends were observed in CVD mortality. When analyzed jointly, patients with lower TC (<182.5 mg/dL) and higher TG (≥193.9 mg/dL) levels had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality. Conclusions: In MHD patients in southern China, higher TC levels were associated with higher risk of mortality, while higher TG levels were related to lower risk of mortality. Patients with lower TC and higher TG levels had the best survival prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of the stability of serum and plasma analytes under different temperatures and time points is vital since it significantly affects the pre-analytical errors. The aim of the study was to determine the stability of serum total cholesterol and triglyceride and plasma glucose of healthy individuals under different storage conditions (25-30°C and 2-8°C) and at different time points (1-hour, 4-hour, 6-hour, and 24-hour). Venous blood samples were collected from healthy individuals aged between 20-50 years after a 12-hour fast. Plasma and serum were separated and stored at different temperatures (25-30°C and 2-8°C) and different time points (1-hour, 4-hour, 6-hour, and 24-hour). Results indicated a significant difference between the mean plasma glucose concentration at room temperature (25-30°C) and refrigerated temperature (2-8°C) at 1-hour (0.072%, p = 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in mean serum total cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.633) and mean serum triglyceride concentrations (p = 0.246) between these temperatures at 1-hour time point. Regarding time points (1-hour, 4-hour, 6-hour, and 24-hour), significant differences in plasma glucose concentrations occurred at 24-hour (10.03%, p = 0.001) at room temperature (25-30°C) and 6-hour (8.79%, p = 0.003) at refrigerated temperature (2-8°C) compared to the 1-hour reference values. Additionally, there were significant differences in serum total cholesterol concentration at 4-hour (12.55%, p = 0.000) and serum triglyceride at 24-hour (29.18%, p = 0.001) compared to the reference values obtained at 1-hour at room temperature (25-30°C). No significant differences were observed among the time points (1-hour, 4-hour, 6-hour, and 24-hour) for serum total cholesterol (p = 0.507) and serum triglyceride values (p = 0.761) at refrigerated temperature (2-8°C). Plasma glucose is unstable at both room temperature (25-30°C) and refrigeration (2-8°C), with recommended testing within 6 hours at room temperature (25-30°C) and stored in a refrigerator (2-8°C) if delayed. It is better to estimate serum total cholesterol within 1-hour of collection at room temperature (25-30°C) while serum triglyceride concentration within 6 hours at the same temperature to obtain accurate and reliable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential association between a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) among premenopausal women, with an additional examination of the mediating role of serum total cholesterol (TC). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1809 women aged 20–49 years with at least one live birth between 2011 and 2018, drawn from the NHANES dataset, were analyzed. GDM history was identified through questionnaires. Using weighted multiple linear regression, we assessed the relationship between GDM history and lumbar BMD. Additionally, mediation analysis was performed to investigate the potential mediating role of TC. Results: The fully adjusted linear regression model revealed a negative association between a history of GDM and lumbar BMD, indicating a reduction in lumbar BMD (β = -0.023, 95% CI: -0.043, -0.003, P = 0.0275). Subgroup analysis highlighted a more pronounced trend in individuals aged ≥ 35 years and with a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m². Furthermore, mediation analysis demonstrated a significant direct effect of a history of GDM on lumbar BMD (P < 0.0001), with serum TC playing a partial mediating role in this interaction (5.33%, P = 0.028). Conclusions: In women aged 20–49 years within the United States, a history of GDM was associated with diminished lumbar BMD, potentially mediated through serum TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The relationship between serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels and mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients remains inconsistent. We aimed to explore the individual and combined association of TC and TG levels with the risk of mortality in Chinese MHD patients. Methods: 1036 MHD patients were enrolled in this multicenter, prospective cohort study. The serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured at baseline. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and secondary outcome was cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Results: During a median follow-up duration of 4.4 years (IQR= 2.0–7.9 years), 549 (53.0%) patients died, and 297 (28.7%) deaths were attributed to CVD. Compared with patients with TC levels in the first three quartiles (<182.5 mg/dL), a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality was found in participants with TC in the fourth quartile (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–1.76). However, a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed in participants with TG in the fourth quartile (≥193.9 mg/dL) (HR, 0.78; 95%CI: 0.63–0.98), compared with participants with TG in the first three quartiles. Similar trends were observed in CVD mortality. When analyzed jointly, patients with lower TC (<182.5 mg/dL) and higher TG (≥193.9 mg/dL) levels had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality. Conclusions: In MHD patients in southern China, higher TC levels were associated with higher risk of mortality, while higher TG levels were related to lower risk of mortality. Patients with lower TC and higher TG levels had the best survival prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the association between serum lipid levels and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: In this case-control study, 50 patients with POAG documented by clinical tests using standard ophthalmologic equipment and 50 age-matched controls were investigated. Twelve-hour fasting serum lipid profiles, including total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), were compared between the cases and controls. Results: The mean age of cases and controls was 62.84 ± 9.68 and 60.12 ± 8.65, respectively (P = 0.65). High total cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl) were found in 23 cases (46%) and 8 controls (16%); high serum triglyceride levels (>150 mg/dl) were found in 24 cases (48%) and 7 controls (14%); high LDL levels (130 mg/dl) were found in 28 cases (56%) and 9 controls (18%); and low HDL levels (<40 mg/dl) were found in 38 cases (76%) and 30 controls (60%). The mean total cholesterol levels were 205.24 ± 36.90 mg/dl in cases and 177.68 ± 22.56 mg/dl in controls (P < 0.001); the mean serum triglyceride levels were 150.42 ± 49.55 mg/dl and 130.84 ± 23.16 mg/dl, respectively (P = 0.013); and the mean LDL levels were 139.50 ± 31.03 mg/dl and 114.96 ± 17.73 mg/dl, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels were significantly higher in cases than in controls (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study shows that higher proportion of POAG patients have dyslipidemia compared to age-matched controls. Though these findings need to be replicated by others. This study opens new vistas for further studies, such as lowering dyslipidemia, lowering the intra-ocular pressure and incidence of POAG, and whether the use of statins to reduce dyslipidemia affects the progression of POAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most frequent problem worldwide and is the most neglected condition. Thus, it is essential to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of SNHL. The main objective of the study is to find whether serum lipid parameters have any correlation with SNHL. 68 patients within the age group of 20–60 years with clinically diagnosed sensorineural hearing loss were included in this study. Informed written consent, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry were done on all patients. The subjects were subjected to Serum lipid profile. The mean age of subjects in this study was 53.25 ± 13.78 years and male to female ratio was found to be 1.125:1. The serum total cholesterol and serum triglyceride also showed significant relationship with the degree of hearing loss (p value < 0.001). With an increase in the serum LDL there was increase in the severity of hearing loss which was statistically significant (p value < 0.001) where as serum HDL level showed statistically insignificant and negative correlation with severity of hearing loss. Serum lipid profile can be used as important biomarker for assessing the severity of hearing loss. Subjects with deranged lipid parameters had higher degress of hearing impairement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that serum lipids are associated with depressive symptoms. However, previous studies have mostly employed a cross-sectional design and assessed middle-aged or older adult populations, making it difficult to discern the impact of lipid changes early in life on the development of depression. Accordingly, we sought to investigate changes in blood cholesterol levels during adolescence and the development of depressive symptoms in early adulthood. This prospective cohort study included participants aged 15–16 years from the JS High School Study (JSHS), with an average follow-up of 6 years. Participants had no diagnosed depression at baseline. Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate associations between changes in total cholesterol during adolescence and depressive symptoms in adulthood. Changes in total cholesterol during adolescence were classified as "consistently low," "decreased," "moderate," "increased," or "consistently high". In men, depressive symptoms were higher in the consistently low (β = 3.20, p = 0.036) and increased total cholesterol groups (β = 3.48, p = 0.017), compared with the moderate group. In the consistently high group, although a positive linear association was observed, it lacked statistical significance (β = 2.71, p = 0.067). While similar tendencies were noted in women, the associations were not statistically significant. Consistently low or increased total cholesterol levels during adolescence may pose an increased risk of depressive symptoms in early adulthood. These findings suggest that different strategies should be adopted to manage the lipid risk factors with consideration of age and sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative DNA damage pathogenically links to some major diseases. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the association between serum total cholesterol (TC) and oxidative DNA damage based on propensity score matching (PSM) method. A total of 407 participants chronically exposed to arsenic via drinking water from China were enrolled. Oxidative DNA damage was determined with urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Serum TC was classified into favourable TC (FTC, TC <5.18 mmol/L) and unfavourable TC (NFTC, TC ≥5.18 mmol/L) categories. Multivariable generalised linear regression model was applied to examine the association. Of 407 participants, 125 pairs with FTC and NFTC subjects were matched using PSM. Urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine levels in NFTC were significantly higher than those in FTC category (p =.002). As compared to the counterparts, additional adjusted log-transformed 8-OHdG/creatinine increase was observed in NFTC for unmatched (β = 0.12, p =.052) and matched (β = 0.17, p <.001) participants, respectively. We also detected obviously increased log-transformed urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine with per interquartile range raise of serum TC either in unmatched (β = 0.10, p =.007) or matched (β = 0.16, p =.003) subjects. In conclusion, serum TC was independently associated with oxidative DNA damage. Our findings provided new insights on the health promotion of lipids relevant to the early warning of diseases due to oxidative DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Donors who eat a fatty meal before donating blood are known to have an increased level of plasma triglyceride concentrations for several hours. This may contribute to "milky-white" appearance of their plasma samples. We herein report the case of a blood donor who gave a history of the intake of a fatty meal, on the night prior to donation. This was affirmed by his serum lipid concentration done on the following day and on repeating the same subsequently after two weeks of donation respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the possible use of anise (Pimpinella anisum) and/or α-tocopheryl acetate as dietary supplements on the performance and some egg quality characteristics of laying Japanese quail. One hundred and eight Coturnix japonica quail (72 females and 36 males), 149 days old, were randomly allocated to four equal groups with three subgroups of nine birds each (six females and three males). A commercial laying diet was fed to the control group (Group A). The remaining three groups received the same diet supplemented with anise seed at 10 g/kg (Group B) or 20 g/kg (Group C), or additional 600 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg (Group D). The birds were given feed and water ad libitum for a period of 29 days, while being kept under commercial conditions. During the experiment, egg production, feed consumption and mortality were recorded daily. Also, at the end of experiment, egg weight, egg yolk, albumen and shell weight percentages, egg yolk colour (using the L*a*b* colour space), blood serum total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were determined. Neither the supplementation of anise nor that of α-tocopheryl had any effect on the performance of the birds or the quality of their eggs, except for a significant change of the colour of the egg yolk. Cholesterol concentration in the serum tended to decrease with the addition of anise to the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was performed to clarify variations in breath isoprene concentrations with age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and total serum cholesterol. Our cohort consisted of 205 adult volunteers of different smoking background without health complaints. Total cholesterol in blood serum was measured in 79 of these volunteers. Methods: Mixed expiratory exhaled breath was sampled using Tedlar bags. Concentrations of isoprene were then determined using proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry. Results: Isoprene concentrations ranged from 5.8 to 274.9 ppb, with an overall geometric mean (GM) of 99.3 ppb. There was no statistically significant difference in mean isoprene in breath between males and females (GM 105.4 and 95.5 ppb, respectively). Ageing led to a decrease in concentration in men, with an estimated slope of the regression line for log-transformed isoprene concentrations of –0.0049, but did not influence isoprene levels in women. We did not observe any significant correlation between isoprene breath content and cholesterol level in blood, even after adjusting for the possible influence of age. Similarly, no correlation was found between isoprene levels and BMI. Conclusions: Isoprene concentrations in exhaled breath showed gender-specific correlations with respect to age. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the relation between isoprene concentrations in exhaled breath and cholesterol levels and synthesis rates in blood. Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1011–8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to determine the responses of broiler chickens to organic copper (Cu), fed in the form of copper–methionine (Cu–Met) chelate. Two hundred day-old Ross 208 broiler chicks were purchased from a commercial supplier and randomly placed into 20 cages of 10 birds each (five males and five females). Maize/soyabean-based basal diets (broiler starter and broiler finisher) were formulated and supplemented with 0 (control), 50, 100, 150 or 200 mg Cu/kg from Cu–Met chelate, an organic source of Cu. Each dietary treatment was randomly allocated to four replicate cages. Broiler starter diet was fed to chicks from week 1 through week 3 followed by feeding a finisher diet for an additional 2 weeks. Weight gain was improved by 2–4% due to supplementation of Cu–Met chelate but none of the diets showed any significant difference from the control. The birds that received Cu–Met chelate consumed more feed during weeks 1–5 in a negative quadratic fashion (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratios (FCR) showed negative quadratic responses during weeks 1–5 (P < 0.05) but appeared to be improved at the highest level (200 mg/kg) although there was no statistical difference from the control. There was no effect of Cu–Met chelate on gizzard erosion. Dietary treatments showed linear increase in serum total cholesterol (P < 0.01). There was a significant increase (40%) in serum total cholesterol at 150 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Serum TG showed significant reductions (P < 0.01) at both 100 and 150 mg/kg (35% and 34% reduction, respectively). The serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) remained unaffected. There was a linear increase in the accumulation of Cu in the liver (P < 0.01) with significant difference from the control at 200 mg/kg supplemental level (P < 0.01). Excretion of Cu in excreta increased significantly (P < 0.01) from the control at all dietary levels of supplementation with a peak concentration at 150 mg/kg level. Accumulation of fat in the liver increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing level of Cu–Met chelate in the diet although this increase was not statistically detectable from the control at any dietary levels. However, dietary supplementation of Cu–Met chelate did not alter fat digestibility and concentration of fat in excreta.In conclusion, dietary supplementation of organic Cu in the form of Cu–Met had no significant effect on growth performance apart from linear and quadratic responses in FCR. It may alter lipid metabolism in broilers. It has a linear effect on the accumulation of Cu and fat in liver. It also increases excretion of Cu in the excreta. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of inflammation and undernutrition on the association between hypocholesterolemia and higher overall mortality in high-functioning older persons. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Three U.S. communities. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 870 participants from the MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. MEASUREMENTS: Baseline information was obtained for serum levels of cholesterol, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and albumin; body mass index; prevalent medical conditions; health behaviors; and medications. Crude and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between serum total cholesterol levels and 7-year all-cause mortality, while adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, the risk ratio of low serum total cholesterol level (<169 mg/dL) for 7-year total mortality was 1.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18–3.07). The multiple adjusted risk ratios were 1.82 (95% CI = 1.10–3.00) after controlling for markers of inflammation and nutrition and 1.39 (95% CI = 0.80–2.40) after adjustment for additional cardiovascular risk factors. Sex was an important confounding variable that contributed to the observed inverse association between low serum cholesterol and overall mortality in univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Hypocholesterolemia is not an independent risk factor for increased overall mortality in high-functioning community-dwelling older men and women. The association between low total cholesterol and high mortality observed in crude analysis is mainly confounded by common cardiovascular risk factors, rather than underlying inflammation or undernutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine a long-term effect of community-based education program for hypercholesterolemia and an effect modification by apolipoprotein E polymorphism, we conducted a 1-year randomized clinical trial with 8 year-follow-up. One hundred four persons aged 40–64 years who had serum total cholesterol levels between 6.21 and 7.73 mmol/l (240 and 299 mg/dl) in 1988–89 cardiovascular risk surveys were enrolled in the trial. The intervention group (n=51, 82% for women) attended eight education classes in 1 year, while the control group (n=53, 85% for women) attended only two classes. Both groups were invited to the subsequent annual surveys. The mean serum cholesterol was 0.24–0.26 mmol/l less in the intervention than in the control group at both 6 month and 1 year (P=0.03, each) while the proportion of subjects using hypolipidemic agents was 0 and 6% in both groups, respectively. During 8-year follow-up, the probability of using hypolipidemic agents and/or total cholesterol &ges;7.76 mmol/l was 51% in the education group and 69% in the control group; the risk ratio in the intervention vs control groups was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.36–1.06). When stratified by the apolipoprotein E polymorphism examined for 78% of the subjects, the risk ratio was 0.61 (0.31–1.18) among subjects without e4 allele (n=59) and 0.55 (0.14–2.14) among those with e4 allele (n=22). The intervention group had reduced intake of egg, fish egg, butter, mayonnaise and fatty meat compared to the control group at 6-month, 1- and 8-year follow-up. In conclusion, our community-based program was effective in reducing serum total cholesterol levels non-pharmacologically during the first year, and also reduced the likelihood of progressive worsening of hypercholesterolemia during the subsequent 8 years, regardless of the apolipoprotein E polymorphism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A cross-sectional study on 222 elderly subjects was carried out at Health Centers in 10 subdistricts in south Jakarta, Indonesia. The anthropometric data (body mass index (BMI), body fat distribution), fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides were assessed. There was a positive correlation between body fat distribution and serum lipid concentration (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides). Body fat distribution appears to be a stronger determinant of serum lipids than BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risks in chronic hemodialysis patients. Background. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death among chronic hemodialysis patients, yet the risk factors for these events have not been well established. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between several traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors and the presence or history of cardiovascular events in 936 hemodialysis patients enrolled in the baseline phase of the Hemodialysis Study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The adjusted odds ratios for each of the selected risk factors were estimated using a multivariable logistic regression model, controlling for the remaining risk factors, clinical center, and years on dialysis. Results. Forty percent of the patients had coronary heart disease. Nineteen percent had cerebrovascular disease, and 23% had peripheral vascular disease. As expected, diabetes and smoking were strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases. Increasing age was also an important contributor, especially in the group less than 55 years and in nondiabetic patients. Black race was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases than non-blacks. Interestingly, neither serum total cholesterol nor predialysis systolic blood pressure was associated with coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral vascular disease. Further estimation of the coronary risks in our cohort using the Framingham coronary point score suggests that traditional risk factors are inadequate predictors of coronary heart disease in hemodialysis patients. Conclusions. Some of the traditional coronary risk factors in the general population appear to be also applicable to the hemodialysis population, while other factors did not correlate with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in this cross-sectional study. Nontraditional risk factors, including the uremic milieu and perhaps the hemodialysis... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]