Longitudinal Trajectories of Cholesterol from Midlife through Late Life according to Apolipoprotein E Allele Status

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Brian Downer⁵  Steven Estus²  Yuriko Katsumata³  David W. Fardo⁴  Catherine M. Stein¹ 

[1] id="af1-ijerph-11-10663">1Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555, U;Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 138 Leader Avenue, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Suite 205, 725 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; E-Mails:;Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, 101 Sanders-Brown Building, 800 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555, USA

关键词: cholesterol;    life span;    aging;    Apolipoprotein E;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph111010663

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Background: Previous research indicates that total cholesterol levels increase with age during young adulthood and middle age and decline with age later in life. This is attributed to changes in diet, body composition, medication use, physical activity, and hormone levels. In the current study we utilized data from the Framingham Heart Study Original Cohort to determine if variations in apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene involved in regulating cholesterol homeostasis, influence trajectories of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and total: HDL cholesterol ratio from midlife through late life. Methods: Cholesterol trajectories from midlife through late life were modeled using generalized additive mixed models and mixed-effects regression models. Results: APOE e2+ subjects had lower total cholesterol levels, higher HDL cholesterol levels, and lower total: HDL cholesterol ratios from midlife to late life compared to APOE e3 and APOE e4+ subjects. Statistically significant differences in life span cholesterol trajectories according to gender and use of cholesterol-lowering medications were also detected. Conclusion: The findings from this research provide evidence that variations in APOE modify trajectories of serum cholesterol from midlife to late life. In order to efficiently modify cholesterol through the life span, it is important to take into account APOE allele status.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.