Serum lipoprotiens in four European communities: a quantitative comparison.

Serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations have been measured in 985 men and women sampled from communities in London, Naples, Uppsala and Geneva. This was done to define normal ranges, detect inter-population differences, and relate such differences to levels of lipids in the major lipoprotein classes of plasma. Cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations showed substantial differences between the four populations; levels of these lipids showed parallel trends, which were attributable to differences in low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein concentrations. By contrast, high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations showed little or no interpopulation differences. Geographical differences in serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels were not correlated with variation in the prevalence of obesity.