Distribution of serum apolipoproteins A-I and B and lipoprotein(a) in European elderly. The SENECA study.

The purpose of this study is to describe sex and geographic differences in apolipoproteins (apo) A-I and B and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations in elderly Europeans. Subjects were 2164 elderly participants of the SENECA study from different regions of Europe. Sera for apo A-I, apo B, and Lp(a) measurement were available for 1703 individuals. In men, mean values ranged from 1.38 to 1.79 g/l for apo A-I, 1.03-1.36 g/l for apo B, and 0.26-0.67 g/l for Lp(a). In women, mean values ranged from 1.54 to 1.98, 1.20-1.51, and 0.26-0.68 g/l for apo A-I, apo B, and Lp(a), respectively. A comparison of northern (Norway, Denmark, Netherlands), middle (France, Switzerland), and southern (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece) communities showed a less atherogenic profile in the south, including lower LDL cholesterol, apo B, TC/HDL cholesterol ratio, and apoB/apo A-I ratio. Men, but not women, also had significantly higher HDL cholesterol and apo A-I concentrations in the South. Paradoxically, Lp(a) concentrations were generally high among all elderly and were significantly higher in the southern communities. These data show that the elderly in Europe are very heterogeneous with respect to plasma lipoproteins, including apo A-I, apo B, and Lp(a).