Interdependence of associations of physical activity, smoking, and alcohol and coffee consumption with serum high-density lipoprotein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol—A population study in eastern Finland

Abstract

The interdependence of the associations of physical activity, smoking, and consumption of alcohol and coffee with serum high-density lipoprotein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations was studied in 9,347 persons ages 25–64 years from east and southwest Finland. In covariance analyses with corrections for age, body mass index, saturated fat index, and fasting time, the mean adjusted serum high-density lipoprotein to non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio was high among physically active male non-smokers but not among smokers ( P = 0.024 for two-way interaction). The cholesterol ratio was lower among both men ( P = 0.010 for two-way interaction) and women ( P = 0.030 for two-way interaction) reporting no or very little use of alcohol, and this association was stronger among smokers and women with high coffee consumption ( P < 0.001 for two-way interaction). Our data suggest that the elevating effect of regular physical exercise on serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol may be absent in smokers, whereas that of alcohol is greater in smokers than nonsmokers. High coffee consumption associates with decreased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in smokers but increased levels in non-smokers.