Distribution of lipoproteins triglyceride and lipoprotein cholesterol in an adult population by age, sex, and hormone use- The Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company health survey.

This report describes the distribution of lipoprotein triglyceride and lipoprotein cholesterol in employees of the Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company. Means, medians, and selected percentiles are presented for very low, low, and high density lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL, and HDL, respectively) in 606 randomly selected white subjects aged 20-59. Results are specific for age decade, sex, and female sex hormone usage. Women who use sex hormones have significantly higher concentrations of triglycerides in all of the fractions across all age decades from 20 to 59 than do women not taking hormones. The average VLDL, LDL, and HDL triglyceride levels in women taking hormones are 69, 25 and 18 mg/dl which are considerably higher than the corresponding averages of 44, 17 and 12 mg/dl noted in women not taking hormones. Men have the highest average VLDL triglyceride value (85 mg/dl) but their average triglyceride concentrations in the LDL and HDL fractions (18 and 12 mg/dl) approximate those of women not taking hormones. This study in a well-defined population provides references standards for lipoprotein triglyceride concentrations. These results can be used to evaluate the effect of sex hormone treatment on the lipoprotein triglyceride content in VLDL, LDL and HDL, and to assess triglyceride content as a potential risk factor in men and older women.