Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and socioeconomic status. The Lipid Research Clinics Program Prevalence Study.

The relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and educational level was examined in 2182 white females and 2368 white males ages 20-59 years in nine North American populations surveyed by the Lipid Research Clinics Program. Mean HDL cholesterol values were positively associated with reported educational achievement. Among females of all ages and males ages 20-39 years, a gradient of HDL cholesterol levels from lowest to highest educational stratum was found. A similar trend of lower magnitude was noted among older males. The positive association between educational and HDL cholesterol levels was statistically significant in both sexes (p < 0.002) and was consistent for each of the study populations. Differences in mean HDL cholesterol between educational strata were in part explained statistically by education-related differences in body mass, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, age and, in women, gonadal hormone use. These findings indicate that socioeconomic status and lifestyle, as measured by level of educational achievement, are associated with HDL cholesterol concentrations in adult populations.