Atherogenic diet and blood lipid profile in children and adolescents from Galicia, NW Spain. The Galinut Study.

We studied serum levels of total cholesterol, lipoproteins and triglycerides in venous blood samples and the intake of nutrients using the subject's daily record of food eaten during a period of 7 d. The material comprised 7367 children and adolescents. The overall average lipid levels (4.55 +/- 0.91 mmol/L for TC, 1.42 +/- 0.47 mmol/L for HDL-C, 2.74 +/- 0.96 mmol/L for LDL-C) are high and similar to those found in other regions of Spain in the 1990s. The proportion of children with TC > or = 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dl) was 19%; that of children with HDL-C < or = 0.91 mmol/L (35 mg/dL) 6.5%. There is a striking and statistically significant difference between the proportions of boys and girls aged 15-20 y who have HDL-C levels in this range (15.8% for boys and only 4.2% for girls). We also demonstrate a high total fat (44% of TCV), saturated fat (16% TCV) and cholesterol (387 mg) intake. Because of the elevated fat and saturated fat intake and the increment of a more atherogenic lipid profile in our children, preventive nutritional measures are necessary, and life habits such as physical exercise and actively reducing fat and saturated fat intake have to be applied and inculcated in children from an early age.