Plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in an Egyptian male sample.

The distributions of plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as plasma lipoprotein abnormalities were studied in 50 Egyptian males aged 20-69 years. Total cholesterol increased gradually with advancing age up to the seventh decade. In contrast, triglycerides peaked in the fifth decade, then declined. Type IV lipoprotein pattern was the most common abnormality (12%). Type II was less common (2.0%). Types I, III and V were not encountered. The mean plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels were not markedly different from similar studies done on non-Arab populations. The high incidence of hyperlipidemia among this group is worth noting, especially in the search for the coronary-prone, since all of the type IV group had normal total cholesterol levels.