Differential changes in plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in obese men and women during weight reduction.

Levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and other lipoproteins of 73 obese men and women were measured before and after a 16-week weight reduction program. There were significant differences between men and women. In men, a 10.7-kg weight loss was associated with a 5% increase in the HDL-cholesterol level, a 15.8% decrease in the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) level, and a 30.1% increase in the HDL-LDL ratio. Women, in contrast, showed an 8.9-kg weight loss, a 3.3% decrease in the HDL-cholesterol level, a 4.7% decrease in the LDL-cholesterol level, and no significant change in the HDL-LDL ratio. These differences suggest that weight raeduction may be an important means of improving plasma lipoprotein patterns in men but may be of more limited value in women.