High density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among US adults by selected demographic and socioeconomic variables. The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1976-1980.

The distribution of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) levels was determined on a nationally representative sample of 9,625 adults aged 20-74 years, as part of the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976-1980 (NHANES II). Mean HDL cholesterol levels were higher in women compared with men (an age-adjusted difference of 8.9 mg/dl for whites and 4.4 mg/dl for blacks). HDL cholesterol levels were higher in blacks compared with whites (an age-adjusted difference of 7.4 mg/dl for men and 2.8 mg/dl for women). All differences were statistically significant (p less than 0.01). These relations remained after stratification by age, income, poverty index, education, body mass index, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and physical activity. For whites, HDL cholesterol levels were highest in the highest category of earnings, whereas blacks generally had lower levels of HDL cholesterol with increased earnings. In a multivariate model, important predictors of higher HDL cholesterol levels were being female, being black, and reporting a higher frequency of alcohol consumption. Less strongly related were age, years of education, and reported high physical activity. Smoking and body mass index were strongly negatively related to HDL cholesterol levels. The findings in this national study support previous findings in selected populations in the United States.