Serum cholesterol levels in American (Pima) Indian children and adolescents.

Serum cholesterol levels from birth to adulthood in a population of North American (Pima) Indians are described and compared to those of Caucasian populations. Cholesterol levels at birth (mean +/- SEM, 87 +/- 2.6 mg/100 ml) were similar in Pimas and Caucasians, but levels in Pimas from 5 to 16 years (148 +/- 4.6 mg/100 ml) were 20 to 30 mg/100 ml lower than among most white populations. The levels showed little rise with age from 5 to 16, then rose significantly in both sexes from ages 17 to 25. Cholesterol levels in adult Pimas (190 +/- 1.5 mg/100 ml) were up to 50 to 60 mg/100 ml lower than in American whites, and showed little increase after age 25. Two cohorts of children followed prospectively for six years indicated that the prevalence data reflect sequential changes in the population. Cholesterol levels of those subjects were significantly correlated at the first and last examinations. The Pima, in contrast to Caucasian American populations, have relatively low levels of serum cholesterol and low rates of coronary heart disease, but evidence of a causal relationship with the latter remains to be established.