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Factors contributing to variation in lipoprotein (a) in Melbourne Anglo-Celtic population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 57, pages 447–454 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this report is to survey the factors contributing to variation in lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) in a population-based sample of Anglo-Celtic Melburnians.

Results: The plasma Lp(a) levels were highly skewed towards low levels in this population, with a median of 156 mg/l and a mean of 262 mg/l. Approximately 33% had plasma Lp(a) above the threshold value of 300 mg/l, while 35% had Lp(a) levels below 100 mg/l. The most commonly occurring phenotype was apo(a) S3. In this phenotype, Lp(a) concentrations ranged from 10 to 596 mg/l. Lp(a) was consistently associated with diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, total protein, albumin and nitrogen excretion in the 40–60 y age group. Multiple stepwise regression analyses, in non-dietary factors, were used to explain about 13% of the variance in Lp(a) (19% in men and 23% in women). Remarkably, in the <40 y age group, non-dietary factors may account for 86% of the variance in Lp(a) and dietary factors, analysed separately, 46%. Thus, although Lp(a) is mainly genetically determined, there are clearly other factors which contribute to variations in Lp(a) concentrations.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, Australia, the Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia and the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia. The authors wish to thank Gayle Savige, R Tudball, M Daskalakis, BH-H Hsu-Hage, W Lukito, BJG Strauss and W Yu for their cooperation during the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Heart Centre, Singapore

    Z W Xiong & Y L Lim

  2. International Health and Development Unit, Asia Pacific Health and Nutrition Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    M L Wahlqvist & N T Wattanapenpaiboon

  3. Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    B M Biegler & D W Xiong

  4. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    N D H Balazs

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Guarantors: ZW Xiong.

Contributors: ZWX, MLW, BMB and NDHB were principal investigators of the project and contributed to wrting the manuscript, NTW collected the clinical data. DWX and YLL analysed data, corrected the manuscript and reviewed the paper.

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Correspondence to Z W Xiong.

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Xiong, Z., Wahlqvist, M., Wattanapenpaiboon, N. et al. Factors contributing to variation in lipoprotein (a) in Melbourne Anglo-Celtic population. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 447–454 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601562

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