The relationship between skinfold thicknesses, body circumferences, plasma lipids and glucose in the elderly.

A total of 699 inhabitants of Ljubljana (269 men and 430 women) aged over 60 years were examined. Weight and height were measured, the body mass index (g/cm2) was summed, skinfold thickness on 14 sites (biceps, abdomen /on the right side/, subscapular, suprailiacal, thigh, calf, lower arm /on the right and left side/) and 8 body circumferences (chest, abdomen, upper arm, thigh and calf /on the right and left side/) were determined. Fasting venous blood was taken for determining plasma glucose, total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol. Plasma cholesterol, both in men and women, is not associated with predictors of fatness - skinfold thicknesses and body circumferences. There are statistically significant correlations between plasma triglycerides and predictors of fatness, particularly in the body, both in men and women. The correlation of plasma HDL-cholesterol is inversely proportional to the predictors of fatness (circumferences and skinfold thicknesses) at the central and peripheral sites of the subcutaneous fat, in both sexes. Relations between plasma glucose and parameters of fatness (body circumferences) are weak and less frequent. They are noticed only in the female population. Body circumferences, predictors of fatness and the distribution of body fat can be as good factors as skinfold thicknesses in the population aged over 60 years.