High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol In Women Research Articles

The influence of age on lipid profile among women taking hormonal contraceptives

Family planning clinic and women at large, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have adopted the administration of hormonal contraceptives to cub incessant occurrence of unplanned pregnancies among women within the reproduction age. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of hormonal contraceptives (Medroxyprogesterone acetate or Norethisterone oenanthate) on lipid profile of premenopausal women at different age groups. Total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), High.Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), of both women who were users and non-users of hormonal contraceptives at different age groups (16-25, 26-35, and 36-45 years of age) were estimated using enzymatic method. There were raised levels of TG, TC, HDL-C and reduced level of LDL-C among women taking hormonal contraceptives. The increase levels of TC and HDL-C in women within the age range of 26-35 years was significant (p.0.05). The result obtained suggested that the use of hormonal contraceptives do not impose any cardiovascular risk among these women in all age groups, rather, a beneficial effect. Women within the age range of 26-35 years by this study, had effect that is more beneficial because they had significantly high levels of TC and HDL-C, and reduced Castelli risk index I and II (TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C respectively).

CYP4A11 variant is associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women

The ω-hydroxylase CYP4A11 catalyzes the transformation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids to omega-hydroxylated-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, endogenous peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonists. PPARα activation increases high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). A cytosine-for-thymidine (T8590C) variant of CYP4A11 encodes for a ω-hydroxylase with reduced activity. This study examined the relationship between CYP4A11 T8590C genotype and metabolic parameters in the Framingham Offspring Study and in a clinical practice-based biobank, BioVU. In women in the Framingham Offspring Study, the CYP4A11 8590C allele was associated with reduced HDL-C concentrations (54.2±0.9 mg/dL in CYP4A11 CC or CT genotype women versus 56.7±0.5 mg/dL in TT women, p=0.02), and with an increased prevalence of low HDL-C, defined categorically as ≤50mg/dL [odds ratio 1.39 (95% CI 1.02-1.90), p=0.04]. In the BioVU cohort, the CYP4A11 8590C allele was also associated with low HDL-C in women [odds ratio 1.69 (95% CI 1.03-2.77, p=0.04)]. There was no relationship between genotype and HDL-C in men in either cohort.

The Correlation between Thyrotropin and Dyslipidemia in a Population-based Study

This study investigated the relationship between serum thyrotrophin levels and dyslipidemia in subclinical hypothyroid and euthyroid subjects. A total of 110 subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism and 1,240 euthyroid subjects enrolled in this study. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had significantly lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than those who were euthyroid. The lipid profiles were each categorized and mean thyrotrophin levels were higher in subjects in the dyslipidemia subclasses than subjects in the normal subclasses. Thyrotrophin was positively associated with serum triglyceride and negatively associated with serum HDL-C in women. Thyrotrophin was also positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) in the overweight population along with TC and LDL-C in overweight women. In the euthyroid population, thyrotrophin was positively associated with TC in the overweight population. In conclusion, serum thyrotrophin was correlated with dyslipidemia in subclinical hypothyroid and euthyroid subjects; the correlation was independent of insulin sensitivity.

Low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment in dyslipidemic women: The Lipid Treatment Assessment Project (L-TAP) 2

Differences between women and men have been documented for both diagnostic testing and treatment in cardiology. This analysis evaluates whether low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) success rates according to current guidelines and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels differ by gender in the L-TAP 2 population. Patients aged > or =20 years with dyslipidemia on stable lipid-lowering therapy were assessed in 9 countries between September 2006 and April 2007. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment by cardiovascular risk level and region and determinants of low HDL-C were compared between genders. Of 9,955 patients (45.3% women) evaluated, women had a significantly lower overall LDL-C success rate than men (71.5% vs 73.7%, P = .014), due entirely to the difference in the high-risk/coronary heart disease (CHD) group (LDL-C goal <100 mg/dL, 62.6% vs 70.6%, P < .0001) Among CHD patients with > or =2 additional risk factors, only 26.7% of women and 31.5% of men (P = .021) attained the optional LDL-C goal of <70 mg/dL. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was <50 mg/dL in 32.2% of women and <40 mg/dL in 26.8% of men (P < .0001), including 38.2% of women and 29.8% of men in the high risk/CHD group (P < .0001). Predictors of low HDL-C in women included diabetes, smoking, waist circumference, and hypertension. Cholesterol treatment has improved substantially since the original L-TAP a decade ago, when only 39% of women attained their LDL-C goal. However, high-risk women are undertreated compared to men, and a substantial opportunity remains to reduce their cardiovascular risk.

Relationship between alanine aminotransferase levels and metabolic syndrome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

To investigate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A total of 26527 subjects who received medical health checkup in our hospital from January 2005 to July 2007 were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of fatty liver was based on ultrasound imaging. MS was defined according to the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III. ALT, triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), height, weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured in each subject to analyze the relationship between MS and ALT activity. (1) The prevalence of NAFLD in men (30.94%) was significantly higher than that in women (15.65%); (2) The incidence of MS in NAFLD (33.83%) was significantly greater than that in non-NAFLD (10.62%); (3) Of the 6470 subjects with NAFLD, in the age-adjusted partial correlation analysis, there were statistically significant correlations between the ALT levels and most metabolic risk factors in each sex (P<0.01), except that ALT levels had no correlation with HDL-c in women. Moreover, in the multiple stepwise regression analysis, SBP lost its significance, and WC, body mass index (BMI), age, DBP, TG and FPG were independently associated with ALT levels in both sexes (P<0.05). HDL-c remained significant and was independently related to ALT levels in men; (4) ALT levels were significantly higher in subjects with MS compared to those without MS (P<0.001). Mean ALT levels increased with the number of MS components in each sex (P<0.05 for trend). We found a strong relationship between ALT levels and MS in NAFLD and revealed that the cluster of MS components might be the predictor for ALT elevations.

Television Time and Continuous Metabolic Risk in Physically Active Adults

Among Australian adults who met the public health guideline for the minimum health-enhancing levels of physical activity, we examined the dose-response associations of television-viewing time with continuous metabolic risk variables. Data were analyzed on 2031 men and 2033 women aged > or = 25 yr from the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study without clinically diagnosed diabetes or heart disease, who reported at least 2.5 h.wk of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Waist circumference, resting blood pressure, and fasting and 2-h plasma glucose, triglycerides, and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. The cross-sectional associations of these metabolic variables with quartiles and hours per day of self-reported television-viewing time were examined separately for men and for women. Analyses were adjusted for age, education, income, smoking, diet quality, alcohol intake, parental history of diabetes, and total physical activity time, as well as menopausal status and current use of postmenopausal hormones for women. Significant, detrimental dose-response associations of television-viewing time were observed with waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and 2-h plasma glucose in men and women, and with fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and HDL-C in women. The associations were stronger in women than in men, with significant gender interactions observed for triglycerides and HDL-C. Though waist circumference attenuated the associations, they remained statistically significant for 2-h plasma glucose in men and women, and for triglycerides and HDL-C in women. In a population of healthy Australian adults who met the public health guideline for physical activity, television-viewing time was positively associated with a number of metabolic risk variables. These findings support the case for a concurrent sedentary behavior and health guideline for adults, which is in addition to the public health guideline on physical activity.

Assessing risk factors of coronary heart disease and its risk prediction among Korean adults: The 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background An in-depth assessment of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in Koreans was conducted to develop effective risk reduction strategies for this population. Method Based on 2001 Korea National Health and Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey, this paper presents the prevalence of major CHD risk factors and estimates future risk by applying the Framingham model and CHD risk factor guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP) to 4639 Koreans aged 20 to 79 years. Result Our findings indicate that CHD is a major health threat to Koreans. Among these factors, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was seen in 35.1% of men and 17.8% of women; both had a low rate of controlled high blood pressure (men 13.7%, women 23.6%), and age-adjusted current smoking was especially high (61.6%) in men. The 10-year CHD risk averaged 11.1% in men and 5.5% in women based on Framingham model, and 7.4% and 1.4% based on NCEP guidelines. About 9.1% of men and 2.6% of women were “high-risk,” (> 20%) based on the Framingham model, and 4.7% and 0.7%, respectively, on the NCEP guideline. Diabetes was the most prevalent risk factor among high-risk individuals and total cholesterol in men and low HDL-C in women was fairly high regardless of prediction method. Conclusion These findings suggest that current coronary heart health of Koreans is nearly comparable to that of western developed countries. Developing and implementing effective population-based intervention strategies focusing on diabetes is warranted to lower the CHD risk for Koreans.

Gender- and age-specific contributions of additional DNA sequence variation in the 5' regulatory region of the APOE gene to prediction of measures of lipid metabolism.

In the present study of 9,000 individuals representative of the general population, we have considered whether the addition of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) improve the statistical explanation of variation in lipid traits and test the hypothesis that the estimated genotype effects are independent of factors indexed by gender and age. To address these questions, we have asked, for each gender and for each 20-year age strata (young: 20-39 years; middle-aged: 40-59 years; old: 60-79 years; very old: 80-100 years), how much trait variation is associated with the traditional epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4 allelic variations defined by the g.2059T --> C and g.2197C --> T SNPs in the fourth exon of the APOE gene, and how much additional trait variation is associated with genotypes defined by combining the g.2059T --> C and g.2197C --> T SNPs with one, two, or three promoter SNPs. Our study demonstrates that the pleiotropic effects of genotype variation defined by the traditional epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4 alleles on five plasma measures of lipid metabolism manifest differently in women and men and change significantly during the life cycle for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women. Multi-site genotypes defined by adding SNPs located in the 5' promoter region to the traditional g.2059T --> C and g.2197C --> T SNPs doubled the estimate of genetic variance of high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein Al in middle-aged females.

Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Clinical and Biochemical Parameters in Healthy Adults

Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Clinical and Biochemical Parameters in Healthy Adults

Estrogen-Receptor Polymorphisms and Effects of Estrogen Replacement on High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Women With Coronary Disease

Although endogenous and exogenous estrogens do increase plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, their effects vary considerably. Family studies suggest this may in part result from allelic variants inthe gene encoding estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-a), also known as estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), which may alter its expression or function. This would be consistent with the functionally important gene variants already identified as encoding steroid receptors, such as receptors for androgens, mineralocorticoids, and glucocorticoids. This study examined the relation between 10 sequence variants in ER-a, including two newly identified ER-a polymorphisms, and HDL cholesterol responses to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Participants were 309 women with coronary artery disease who were enrolled in the Estrogen Replacement and Atherosclerosis Trial. The women received 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen orally each day, estrogen plus 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate, or placebo, and were followed for 3.2 years on average. The IVS1-401 C/C genotype was identified in 18.9% of the study population. After adjusting for age, race, diabetes, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, and frequency of exercise, these women had HDL cholesterol levels more than twice those found in the other women (13.1 vs. 6 mg/dl). Only the HDL subfraction 3 (HDL3) was affected. This effect was noted in women given combined estrogen/progestin therapy and those receiving estrogen alone as HRT. Similar patterns of response to HRT were noted for three other highly linked ER-a intron 1 polymorphisms close to the VSI-401 site. Despite the favorable changes in HDL cholesterol, angiographically defined coronary artery disease did not progress less rapidly in women bearing the IVSI-401 C/C genotype. None of the other ER-a polymorphisms studied were associated with an altered response of HDL cholesterol to HRT. These findings support the possibility of using genetic screening to reach decisions on HRT to maximize the well-being of postmenopausal women. The actual effects of different ER-a genotypes on clinical cardiovascular events remain to be determined.

Weight cycling and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women: evidence of an adverse effect: A report from the NHLBI-sponsored WISE study

OBJECTIVESWe undertook an analysis of weight cycling, coronary risk factors and angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) in women.BACKGROUNDThe effect of weight cycling on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity is controversial, and the impact of weight cycling on cardiovascular risk factors is unclear.METHODSThis is a cross-sectional population study of 485 women with coronary risk factors undergoing coronary angiography for evaluation of suspected myocardial ischemia enrolled in the Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE). Reported lifetime weight cycling—defined as voluntary weight loss of at least 10 lbs at least 3 times—coronary risk factors including core laboratory determined blood lipoproteins and CAD, as determined by a core angiographic laboratory, are the main outcome measures.RESULTSOverall, 27% of women reported weight cycling—19% cycled 10 to 19 lbs, 6% cycled 20 to 49 lbs, and 2% cycled 50+ lbs. Reported weight cycling was associated with 7% lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in women (p = 0.01). The HDL-C effect was directly related to the amount of weight cycled with women who lost ≥50 lbs/cycle having HDL-C levels 27% lower than noncyclers (p = 0.0025). This finding was independent of other HDL-C modulators, including estrogen status, physical activity level, alcohol intake, body mass index, diabetes, beta-blocker use, cigarette smoking and race. Weight cycling was not associated with an increased prevalence of CAD in this population.CONCLUSIONSWeight cycling is associated with lower HDL-C in women of a magnitude that is known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiac events as demonstrated in prior clinical trials.

Socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors in the Czech Republic.

In western countries, prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and most risk factors is higher in lower socioeconomic groups. The social gradients in the former communist societies are less well known. Because in western countries different indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) are correlated, this gradient is found with a number of different measures of SES. We have analysed the presence and magnitude of the socioeconomic gradient in cardiovascular risk factors in a former communist country. As the relationship between material conditions and education has been much weaker than in the west, we have also attempted to separate their effects. A cross-sectional survey examined a random sample of men and women resident in six Czech districts participating in the MONICA study in 1992. Participants completed a questionnaire, underwent anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, and provided a blood sample. Two indicators of SES were used: education and material conditions, the indicator constructed from car ownership and crowding. Linear regression was employed to analyse the relation between SES and total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and height. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between SES and smoking and hypertension. A total of 1141 men and 1212 women (overall response rate 75%) participated in the study. After controlling for age, all risk factors were associated with education, except HDL cholesterol in women and BMI in men; only smoking in both sexes and WHR in women and height in men were significantly related to material conditions. In mutually adjusted analyses, educational gradients persisted but associations with material conditions disappeared or became substantially weaker. The magnitude of the educational differences was similar to those found in western countries. Socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular risk factors in Czech Republic in 1992 had the same direction and similar magnitude as in Western Europe, and were strongly related to education rather than material conditions. Materialist explanations for the social differences seem unlikely in this population.

Validity of Self-Reported Fat Distribution in Young Adults: The CARDIA Study

To determine the validity of self-reported information on body fat distribution, relationships between reported location of weight gain and measured waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and fasting insulin were analyzed in 5115 black and white men and women aged 18–30 years. In black men, WHR adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) ranged from 0.833 among those reporting upper and central weight gain to 0.812 among those reporting lower body weight gain (trend across five reported fat distribution categories, P = 0.0004). Corresponding values were, for white men, 0.852 to 0.831; for black women, 0.777 to 0.721; and for white women, 0.772 to 0.701 (each P < 0.0001). Reported fat distribution was associated with HDL-C in women, but not in men, and with fasting insulin in all groups. While these associations were somewhat weaker than with measured WHR, self-reported fat distribution does provide valid information about body fat distribution in young adults, particularly women.

Effects of acute exercise on high density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein subfractions in moderately trained females.

Increases in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels have previously been reported after moderate exercise bouts lasting less than two hours in men. Little information exists, however, on HDL-C responses...

Plasma lipoproteins and incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians: protective effect of HDL cholesterol in women

The role of plasma lipoproteins in the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was studied in 787 non-diabetic (2-h glucose<11.1 mmol/l) Pima Indians (265 men and 522 women). Subjects were followed for a mean of 9.8 (range: 1.8–16.4) years, during which 261 (76 men and 185 women) developed NIDDM. In men and women, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, VLDL triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein triglyceride and total triglyceride, controlled for age, predicted NIDDM (P<0.01 for each). These effects diminished when controlled for age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and 2-h glucose. However, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, controlled for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and 2-h glucose, was a significant protective factor for NIDDM in women (hazard rate ratio (HRR)=0.35, 95% CI (0.23–0.54), P<0.001, 90th compared with 10th percentile) but not in men (HRR=1.04, 95% CI (0.53–2.05), P=0.915). This association remained significant in women when controlled for fasting or 2-h plasma insulin concentrations, other estimates of insulin resistance or alcohol consumption. The protective effect of HDL cholesterol was similar among women with normal (2-h glucose<7.8 mmol/l) or impaired (7.8 mmol/l≤2-h glucose<11.1 mmol/l) glucose tolerance at baseline. These results indicate that lipoprotein disorders are an early accompaniment of the abnormalities that lead to NIDDM.

High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and types of alcoholic beverages consumed among men and women.

Differences by sex in the relationship between high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and consumption of alcoholic beverages were examined in 1516 individuals. Questionnaires and blood-sample data from cross-sectional surveys were analyzed. Both beer and liquor were independently associated with increased HDL cholesterol in the total group, in men, and in women after covariates were controlled for. Wine was associated with a significant increase in HDL cholesterol in women only. Among women and men, amount may be more important than type of alcoholic beverage consumed. The independent effect of wine on HDL cholesterol among men remains unclear since few men in this population consumed wine exclusively or in large quantities.

Diet and plasma lipids in women. II. Macronutrients and plasma triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and the ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women: the Framingham nutrition studies.

This study examined relationships between macronutrients and plasma triglycerides, HDL, and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (T/H ratio) in a population-based sample of 695 premenopausal and 727 postmenopausal women participating in the Framingham Offspring/Spouse Study. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that plasma triglycerides were inversely related to protein, fiber, and polyunsaturated fat and directly related to saturated fat and oleic acid. Alcohol intake was directly related to HDL cholesterol and inversely related to the T/H ratio in all subgroups of women, except for postmenopausal women with the 3/2 or 2/2 apolipoprotein E phenotype. Similarly, a direct relationship between dietary fat and HDL cholesterol was limited to this single subgroup of postmenopausal women. Since dietary fat and alcohol do not appear to have consistent effects on plasma lipids in all groups of women, it is important to consider the genetic contribution to diet/lipid relationships in epidemiological studies and when evaluating lipid-lowering interventions.

Gender differences in lipid alterations following combined pancreas-kidney transplantation

We have previously demonstrated that the lipid profile improves following successful combined pancreas-kidney transplantation (PKT). In this study, we examined whether changes in the lipid profile were different in men than in women following PKT. Fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and the TC to HDL ratio (TC/HDL) were evaluated in 47 patients (27 men and 20 women) with normal graft function following PKT. Lipids were evaluated at regular intervals 3.5 months to 2.2 years post-PKT (a total of 317 observations). After PKT, TC/HDL decreased ( P < .05), TC was unchanged, and HDL increased ( P < .05) in both men and women. Although TG decreased in both men and women, it reached statistical significance in men only ( P < .05). There were no significant differences in any lipid parameters between men and women before PKT, but after PKT, TC, TG, and HDL were higher in women (240 ± 11, 183 ± 17, and 64 ± 19 mg/dL, respectively) than in men (207 ± 6, 143 ± 11, and 53 ± 2 mg/dL, P < .05 for each). When post-PKT values were analyzed for trends over time, both TC and TG decreased ( P < .05 for both) without any significant difference in trends between men and women. When six individuals who had received lovastatin at any time during their postoperative course were removed from analysis, the gender differences in TG post-PKT and the decrease in TG over time were no longer statistically significant ( P > .05). There were no differences in age, time elapsed since PKT, body mass index (BMI), frequency of smokers, frequency of those on dialysis before PKT, duration of diabetes, or glycohemoglobin either pre- or post-PKT between men and women to explain the gender differences in lipids. Serum creatinine was slightly greater in men than in women, as would be expected with greater muscle mass (175 ± 3 v 140 ± 3 μmol/L, P < .01). No women but 10 men were treated with β-blockers both before and after PKT, yet there was no difference in lipids between those men taking and not taking β-blockers. The final and most likely variable was an improvement in gonadal function in some women. Seventeen of the 20 women were premenopausal at the time of study. Ten of these 17 women had regular menstrual cycles before PKT, whereas 16 had regular cycles after PKT. Measurement of gonadal steroid levels will be needed to confirm the hypothesis that improved sex steroid secretion results in a greater increase in HDL in women than in men following PKT. Thus, assessment of gonadal function both before and after PKT may be important for the interpretation and treatment of abnormal lipid profiles in this clinical setting.

Effect of time between measurements on within-subject variability for total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women

A single blood cholesterol measurement may not accurately reflect an individual's true mean concentration. If duplicate blood samples are taken, what number of days between sampling gives the best chance of detecting the maximum within-subject variation? In this study, we analyzed 20 serial blood samples obtained from each of 13 healthy, menstruating women over 35 days. Variability was calculated as the semivariogram, which gives the average squared difference between replicate samples taken over a range of sampling intervals. Data were available for a complete set of intervals from 1 to 26 days. Variability in total cholesterol (TC) increased as the interval between sampling increased from 1 to 12 days. With high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), variability increased from 1- to 7-day intervals. In practice, our results suggest that, irrespective of the time of menstruation, the minimal interval for collecting a second blood sample for TC and HDL-C assays is approximately 2 weeks.

Association of serum lipoproteins and health-related habits with coffee and tea consumption in free-living subjects examined in the Israeli CORDIS study

Background. A positive association between coffee consumption and serum cholesterol levels has been demonstrated and recent results indicate that this may be due to a lipid-rich fraction present mainly in boiled coffee. The possible effects of tea consumption are less clear, although evidence has been presented which suggests that tea drinkers have lower cholesterol levels. The associations between serum lipids and lipoproteins and coffee and tea consumption were examined in the Israel CORDIS study. Methods. Employees of 21 factories were screened for cardiovascular disease risk factors between 1985 and 1987. Detailed data on coffee and tea consumption and serum lipids and lipoproteins were available for 3,858 men and 1,511 women. Results and Conclusions. Consumption of five or more cups of coffee per day was reported by 10.1% of men and 8.7% of women, whereas only 3.4% of men and 2.2% of women consumed similar quantities of tea. After controlling for a number of potential confounders, coffee consumption (particularly “mud” coffee) was strongly and positively associated with higher serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in both sexes (consumers of five or more cups per day had cholesterol levels up to 18 mg/dl higher than abstainers) and with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in women. There was a nonsignificant negative association between tea consumption and serum cholesterol (cholesterol levels about 5 mg/dl more in abstainers than in those consuming five or more cups per day). In general, more negative health-related habits were reported with increased coffee consumption, whereas this relationship was not found for tea drinking. The relatively small percentage of heavy tea drinkers limits the conclusions that one can draw from this study and controlled trials are needed to evaluate possible lipid-lowering effects of tea consumption.